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The Importance of Embracing Failure

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 26, 2020 | Article

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A few days ago I got a meme where two people are having a conversation. Maybe a job interview. The meme is the first illustration of this blog post. They talk about the key to success and how to accumulate experience to make right decisions. What was the key? Wrong decisions. Why? because failure is not the opposite of success. It is part of it.

This meme got me thinking on how this applies to our sport of running. It applies to life in general, for sure, but that is beyond the scope of this blog. As runners we are always pushing our limits, both in training and races. We strive for that PR. We sweat to hit the splits on each interval. We suffer the day we feel great but the training plan ordains an off day. We can’t sleep the night before an important 20-miler but still wake up ready for action. Yet.. then… sometimes… we fail.

Common knowledge teaches us to “listen to our bodies”, but as runners, we rarely do. We even struggle with what “listen to your body” actually means. What we need to remember is that the body is a machine. An exceptionally complex, fine-tuned machine, but a machine, nevertheless. This means that it doesn’t always perform at its highest potential. Sometimes it needs maintenance, sometimes a part breaks down, sometimes you forgot to add oil or coolant. Even the best F1 cars fail to finish races due to mechanic failure.

We must understand that failure is an intimate part of our running life. Is not if we will have a bad run or a bad race, it is a matter of when. And we cannot hold this one bad day as the defining moment of our day, our training plan, or our life. Running great Dean Karnazes tells the tale of his failed attempt at Badwater in his book Ultramarathon Man, and he is not ashamed of it. Alberto Salazar also opens himself about facing death after overdoing it in a race in his book 14 Minutes. The key is, as they both tell us, what do you take from those experiences, and then how you apply what you learned while moving forward.

Imagine if we were not going to run another marathon because we hit the wall that one time. Imagine how many people would participate in your local 5K if the failed to set up a PR or place in their age group, last year. How many runners would you see on the track on any given afternoon if they could not hit their splits last week? Not very deep thoughts, sure, but so simple, so real, and so close to us all.

Thomas Edison said: “I didn’t fail. I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”. This also translates to your 800 repeats, your first-mile pace in that 5K when you bonked, and your stupid decision of pushing too hard at mile 8 on that marathon because you were feeling so good.

As runners, it is imperative to have a short-term memory when It comes to failure so we can keep moving forward. Some need of more encouragement than others. The key is to remember that we run because we enjoy it. We are choosing the suffering. Nobody is forcing us to put ourselves in a position where we may and will eventually fail. We just must extract the lessons from what happened, put them into practice, move on and forget whatever happened that day. If we learned nothing from bonking on that long run, if we learned nothing from going out too fast the first half of that race, if we learned nothing from that day we got dehydrated; then we are bound to repeat those mistakes, and very soon.

Always remember that experience is what we get when we don’t obtain what we originally set out to get. So make sure you take advantage, and even embrace, your running failures. They will be visiting you soon enough and you should be prepared to deal with them.

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Hydration Basics for Runners

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 19, 2020 | Article, Coaching

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

The basic concepts on hydration have moved like a pendulum through the last century of athletics in general but running in particular. While the earlier runners of the Boston Marathon took it as a matter of pride not to consume water, in later years the thesis of never been able to consume too much came en vogue and was disproven. Now days, we are in the “drink to thirst” phase. The truth is that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to the matter. What worked for Bill Rodgers in the 1970s, does not work for Eliud Kipchoge, setting the world record and does not necessarily work for you, right now.

When it comes to hydration, extremes do not work. Not taking any liquids during a marathon is a recipe for disaster that doesn’t require much explanation. The “more is better” can lead to the life-threatening condition known as hyponatremia, whose explanation is beyond the scope of this blogpost.

It is important to understand that if you are running 3-6 miles, 3-4 times a week, your body may have everything it needs to cope with your hydration needs. There should be no need for a hydration strategy per se unless you are running in an oppressively hot and humid environment. A quick 5K around my block is not the same as 5K in the Sahara at noon. But once you are getting up on mileage, or start training for a longer effort, then it becomes imperative that you do something about your hydration needs.

“Hydration is a balancing act—says Andy Blow, British Sports Scientist and founder of Precision Hydration—One thing we can all agree is that once you hit a level of under-hydration, where you lose enough fluids and electrolytes, at some point you will reach serious problems, such as reduced cardiovascular function because your blood gets thicker and thicker as you get more and more dehydrated. Then you dissipate heat less well, you overheat and from there you get into a downward spiral.”

Finding out where in the spectrum you fit; how much you need to drink, how often and what electrolytes you need to replace is your responsibility as a runner. Sure, a coach can and will assist you, but only if you feed him the right data, which is your duty.

Hydration Specialist and Sports Scientist Andy Blow

An easy home test to figure out how much you sweat on a specific setting, let’s say on a summer long run; is to weigh yourself naked right before you leave. Run for an hour without consuming anything. As soon as you get home, get naked, wipe yourself off and weigh yourself, again. The difference in weight is how much sweat you lost in an hour. Each gram lost is equivalent to about 1 milliliter of water, as there are other contents in your sweat (in the Imperial measure system, each tenth of a pound is equivalent to 1.6 Fl Oz). This is your sweat rate and the approximate amount of water you need to replace as you run in similar conditions. Yes, it is that simple.

As personal as the sweat rate is, the contents of your sweat are equally individual. You need to know what is in your sweat so you can replace it. If you are caked in salt once the sweat evaporates, then you are losing a lot of salt, 40% of which is sodium, a key electrolyte. So, if this is you, you need to go above the set guidelines for salt intake, as these are not for athletes but for normal, inactive people.

According to Blow, the best approach for hydration on shorter runs (90 minutes or less) is not to have a plan but to drink to thirst. For longer runs, like a 20-miler on a hot summer day, you need to consume not only water but also sodium to compensate what is being secreted and keep your stores as topped off as possible.

There is so much more about hydration. Not all of it can be addressed in just one post. Tim Noakes, the world renowned South African sports physiologist, wrote “Waterlogged”, a book about the topic which is 448 pages long. If you want to dig deeper into the subject, this is my recommended source.

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To Fast or Not to Fast?

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 5, 2020 | Article, Coaching

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

It is an ongoing debate between runners, coaches, scientists and onlookers in general if we should run in a fasting state or not. Despite all the science, studies, anecdotal evidence and articles on the subject, the verdict boils down to a simple two-word answer: It depends.

Figuring out what to eat and when is the responsibility of each runner.

It depends on what type of runner you are, how long you are running, when you’re going for a run, what are you trying to accomplish, and so many other factors. There are as many answers as there are runners. And what works for you doesn’t necessarily work for me.

If you run first thing in the morning, you can do a simple A/B testing and figure out what works for you. There are people that can’t function without a coffee and there are people that will have to rush behind the bushes if they have a coffee before running. You can try with an apple, or a banana, or a bagel, or toast, and from there find out what helps you out and what upsets your stomach. A running partner once told me she had a bowl of oatmeal before our long runs. If I had a bowl of oatmeal, I would be the one running for the bushes.

The key to this is not to overdo it. You are just looking to top off your glycogen stores before you hit the road. You are not taking breakfast. Digestion uses a lot of blood, same as running does. So when the body diverts the blood to fuel your running, digestion stops. The rest I will leave to your imagination.

Running on a fasting state, you will teach your body to use its own resources without depending on outside fueling. This is beneficial when you are training for a long effort, usually the half-marathon and above. As you your body adapts to the finite amount of glycogen it has available, it learns to use its stored fat as a source of fuel. This becomes invaluable when you go beyond the 18-20-mile mark, so you can avoid the dreaded wall.

I want to make absolutely clear that I am not saying to go run 18-20 miles just with what you woke up with. You should not neglect your fueling strategy (that is a topic beyond the scope of this blog post). What I am saying is that running in a fasting state will train your body to reach that critical point with something left in the tank.

The time of the day in which you run is one of the key variables on fasting or not

The time of the day in which you run is key on deciding if fasting or not fasting is right for you. If you run in the afternoon, you shouldn’t be fasting all day. What you must do is adjust your eating habits so you can fulfill your training without interrupting digestion. Once again: A/B testing. You will have to discover what works best for you. You will have to eat something before your run, but what and when is the key. It could be some fruit, or a sandwich or handful of almonds; either two or three hours before your run. Or maybe its just one hour. It is your responsibility to figure that out.

Even if you prefer running in a fasting state, you must prepare for the task you will be facing. If you are running New York, or Boston, where you may be starting at 11AM, you can’t do it in a fasting state. You must eat something hearty for breakfast with enough time to digest (about 4 hours). You breakfast needs to be a low-waste meal so you can avoid number-2 unscheduled breaks. Astronauts for the first Mercury and Gemini missions, when bathrooms were not available in their spacecrafts, used to eat filet mignon, eggs and toast before launch. You may want to switch the filet mignon for another type of protein but in general, this is a great option. One that needs to be practiced before race day.

My recommendation is to start working on your A/B testing right away. Find the benefits and the drawbacks of fasting or not; of eating and eating what; of eating or not based on how long are you planning to go; on when to eat; on figuring out if coffee, oatmeal, fruit, toast or whatever, works best for you; or not. The time to work on this, is now, not when you are tapering for your marathon or the morning of your goal race.

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No Fall Races. Now What?

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 29, 2020 | Article, Opinion, Personal

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A couple of weeks ago we mentioned the Abbott World Marathon Majors, whose Series XIII was crippled by the pandemic that has swept the world. And we can pout all we want but the reality is that, most likely, we will not see any racing at least until the Fall of 2021. If your race hasn’t been called yet, be patient and it soon will. It is the new reality so, lets adjust and move forward with our lives, and on with our running.

Images like this one are a-dime-a-dozen these days. But we need to keep in mind why we started running.

As Dr. George Sheehan brilliantly said: “Racing is the lovemaking for the runner. It is difficult to pass up”. I couldn’t agree more. It is a test against ourselves, a friendly competition against our friends, an opportunity to bonk and learn a lesson, the thrill of seeing a finish line on the horizon and crossing it, the justification for a beer with friends at 9AM, and many, many more reasons.

One of the characteristics of races is that with something on the calendar we remain focused on our training, especially during the miserable days of summer. Why run 20 miles in mid-August, starting at 4AM if you are not running a marathon in the Fall? But there is a say that has been doing the rounds in social media: “Races have been cancelled, running has not”, and if we want to keep moving forward toward the main reason that got us lacing up our shoes for the first time, we better keep moving forward, now, so when races resume we are not starting from scratch.

These are a handful of guidelines/suggestions that will assist you in refocusing and repurposing your running during these uncertain months of no-races:

1 – Don’t forget your main running goal: There is a reason why you started running. It could be to have an active social life, or to lose weight, or to get off the couch or to enjoy alone-time away from your professional or domestic setting. Whatever it was, it still applies, today.

2 – Don’t forget your racing goals: You still want to break 30 in the 5K, or BQ or set a PR in your next half marathon. You won’t get ahead by sleeping in, missing runs, or lamenting cancelled races. You can still get prepared now so you can crush that goal when racing resumes.

3 – Follow a plan: It is good to take a couple of months off after a grueling racing season. Run less, have fun, take extra days off. But you shouldn’t remain in a perpetual off-season. Set plans, goals and benchmarks to move forward, even if those are not racing or PR related.

4 – Work on your weak areas: This is the perfect time to get in the habit of strength training, core workouts, balance drills, yoga (even if it is online), stretching, etc. Make the most of your raceless time.

5 – Challenge your running partner: If you have a running partner, set up a buddy challenge. Who can run the fastest 10K six weeks from now? who can go under a certain time a half marathon? or whatever makes you tick. Just be smart so no one gets injured.

6 – Virtual Racing: Yes, the suck. No, it is not the same. But if you need a challenge in your calendar, this is a better-than-nothing option. PRs will not officially count but, remember the “P” stands for personal. And, you may even add a nice medal or shirt to your collection.

7 – Remember that running slow, makes you faster: Multiple studies have shown that running at a slower heart rate effort will develop your aerobic system, thus, make you faster. Document yourself about this and enhance your running engine during the down time.

8 – Above all, don’t be stupid: Yes, sounds harsh, but it is imperative you don’t injure yourself. Imprudent runners will end up nursing their wounds while their buddies return to racing.

These are just eight suggestions to keep you motivated during the pandemic. I bet you can find 100 more. If you do, please share it in the comments section. And make sure these difficult times don’t get to you.

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The Journey of a Six-Star Finisher

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 22, 2020 | Article, Guest Perspective

By Starr Davis

Editorial note: Last week we talked about the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series. This week, my friend Starr Davis tells her account of achieving the milestone despite some physical problems she encountered along her journey.

For me, 2018 was the year of comebacks. In October 2017, I began having hip issues. Surgery was recommended to remove a bone spur and repair/replace the labrum. My surgeon and I decided because I had amazing marathons ahead of me, we would postpone surgery until after I finished them. Then, he would be able to repair any additional damage. We weren’t sure if this would end my running career. From October through December 2017, I ran the Chicago, Marine Corps, Berlin and Havana marathons, plus a 50K Ultra Marathon.

Starr at the iconic finish line of the Berlin Marathon.

Still postponing surgery, in April 2018, I was able to complete both the Boston and London Marathons. Boston was a challenge as temperatures were in the 30’s with constant rain. I wound up in 11 medical tents with hypothermia symptoms. However, because I had raised $6500 for charity from friends and I knew this was my one opportunity to do Boston, I finished the race.

Six days later, I ran the London marathon. The temperature was in the 80s. Between the contrast in weather and my hip, I wound up walking the marathon from mile 8. But I was totally overjoyed to complete two races in 6 days.

Three weeks later, I had hip surgery. I was truly fortunate that it was not as major as anticipated—the labrum wasn’t torn but had a bone spur sticking out of it that was labor intensive to remove. Of course, when I woke up, my first question was “when can I run?” I had been offered a sponsorship race entry to the NYC Marathon in November, and I really wanted to do it. I was told that running it would be impossible, but I should be able to walk it.

Receiving the coveted Six Starr medal after finishing Tokyo in 2019

Twenty-four weeks after surgery, I was able to walk the NYC marathon. My body had done so much better than I expected. There were hours and hours of therapy and minimal training. I feel so blessed to have been able to have the “perfect” conditions. I was joking with doctors that Boston was too cold and wet; London was too hot and finally, New York was “just right.” He has now nicknamed me “Goldilocks.”

I ran the Tokyo Marathon just March 3rd of this year, and it was epic, albeit miserable race conditions. It was 43 degrees with constant rain—but it was 8 degrees warmer than Boston and rain was coming straight down instead of at an angle.

Let’s focus on the good things. After Tokyo, I became an Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Finisher. What does that mean? I am one of 4,989 people in the world who have successfully completed the six major world marathons: Berlin, Chicago, New York, Boston, London and Tokyo. Of these finishers, 1,376 are women and 929 are from the USA. I’m so over the moon that I was able to successfully complete this, especially as a 50-year old who overcame crazy health challenges.

That stretch of 19 months of running was amazing for me—they’ve given me the opportunity to meet amazing new people, travel to great locations and most importantly, change my attitude of what can be accomplished. I have changed my eating habits and developed a better relationship with myself. It’s amazing what running some miles can do for you.

Starr Davis is a lifelong educator who has a passion for helping others grow in their career. She earned the coveted Six-Starr medal in 2019. She lives in South Florida and is a newly retired marathon runner.

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The Abbott World Marathon Majors Series

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 15, 2020 | Article

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Most of my readers may already know about the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series. After all, if you are reading this, most likely you are a runner and may have even completed at least one of the races, if not more. But for those who don’t know about it, or just would like to refresh their knowledge on the subject, I am hereby writing this quick blogpost.

The Abbott World Marathon Majors was established in 2006 with the five, highest-profile races in the globe: New York City, Berlin, Boston, London, Chicago, Then, in 2013, the Tokyo Marathon was added. It is a championship-style group of races in which the Marathon World Championship is awarded. Each series consists on seven races, starting and ending with the same race and then moving on to the next one. The series also includes the Olympic Marathon and the IAAF World Championship on the years those take place. The last completed series was the XII, which started in Berlin 2018 and finished in Berlin 2019. Series XIII has been crippled by Boston going virtual, Berlin and New York cancelled, and London hanging by a thread. Not sure what will the World Marathon majors do about it.

Abbott Laboratories is the title sponsor for the World Marathon Majors Series

The 12 Abbott World Marathon Major Series have been won 11 times by a Kenyan and one by an Ethiopian on the men’s side, and 8 times by a Kenyan, three by a German and one by and Ethiopian on a Women’s side. The current champions are Eliud Kipchoge and his compatriot Brigid Kosegi on the female side. Five runners have won more than one series, with Kipchoge leading the way with four.

But 99.9% of the runners will never, ever get close to scoring a single point on the Abbott World Marathon Major rankings, so what is it in it for them? Abbott has developed a successful marketing campaign in which by crossing the line of any of their runs, you earn what is known as “a star”. Once you complete all six, then you earn the “The Six-Star Medal”, a commemorative piece to memorialize your cumulative achievement. It is one of the most coveted medals in the sport, since it is something you can’t purchase, and it requires an immense investment of time, effort, and money.

Obtaining the Six-Star medal is not about just having the resources to travel to all six destinations or being physically able to complete six marathons. Marathoning has become so popular in the last decade and the Abbott World Marathon Major Series has become so big, that securing a spot in the races is usually the first obstacle for may runners. For Boston you need to qualify and only the faster times get to the starting line, unless you raise funds for charity, which has challenges of its own. London is extremely popular and hitting that lottery could be as difficult as hitting the Power Ball. For New York, Tokyo and Chicago, there are usually over 100 wanna-runs for each spot available. It is said the “easiest” lottery to hit is Berlin, but if that is the perception, more and more runners will gravitate towards that one, making it tougher to hit a spot.

Having earned the Six-Star medal usually makes you a celebrity in your local running community. Fellow runners want to take pictures with you and your medals. It is a cool think to have in your hand. A friend of mine got hers and brought it to our local running store. You feel like you are holding an Olympic medal. It is that cool.

Next week I will post the experience of an actual Six-Star Medal member, Starr Davis, who overcame a series of physical obstacles to earn her medal. Hopefully, you will earn yours, soon and tell us all about it.

For more information on the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series, visit their website by clicking here.