Article Archives - Page 25 of 25

Winter, Pandemic and a Runner’s High

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Apr 8, 2020 | Article, Guest Perspective

By Bernardo Garcia Carrillo

Bernardo running on his home treadmill during the Canadian winter

Let’s say you’re going through your second winter since you moved to Canada. It’s -30C (-22F) outside, you’re not that tough (I’ve seen people running outside at -4F) and you have no choice but to use the dusty treadmill. You don’t love it but you’re not fond of gyms, either so you stay home and run in front of the TV. It can be quite boring even if you’re watching a good show.

Then, the new reality of the pandemic hits us all and we are forced to spend even more time indoors. You’re thankful that you are staying healthy and that spring is finally arriving… and then you go out for the first run in the open, after a very long time, at the end of a long winter. Your head is suddenly filled with heavy thoughts.

And this is what you find:

View out of Bernardo’s window on March 30th, 2020

The sun and the wind in your face feel as good as ever.
It’s lunchtime during isolation and you can smell what they’re cooking in nearly every house you pass by. It’s a feast!
You’re enjoying yourself so much that you just don’t want to keep track of distance, time, pace or heart rate.
When you finally check your watch you realize that your performance is way better than it was the day before on the treadmill.
You feel like you have wings on your feet, which comes as a surprise as you’re supposed to put more effort when you run on the asphalt than the treadmill.

Bear in mind that I’m not what you can call an avid runner. I have never been really that consistent, but in days like this I can fully understand Adolfo’s passion about running. I remember something he told me a while ago about this thing called “runner’s high”. I think it makes sense now.

Bernardo Garcia Carrillo lives in Calgary, Canada. He has been training under Coach Adolfo Salgueiro since 2016.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

The Myrtl Hip Routine

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Mar 25, 2020 | Article, Coaching

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

During these challenging times when we are all cooped up given the reality affecting the world, the time for our sempiternal “I-will-do-it-when-I-have-some-extra-time” has finally arrived. Every expert, every magazine and every everyone is coming up with suggestions for good uses of your time, do-it-yourself videos or online classes. Why would Foultips.run be different? even if we are just recycling an old YouTube video from 2013.

I had some tight hip issues for a while and during the 2018-19 racing season I suffered a lot. As I was doubled in pain during the last mile of a half marathon in Miami Beach, a friend who was reeling me in told me she would send me a link to some exercises she’s been doing for her hips. The rest is history. I was a convert after my first try.

She sent me a link to a video by Runner’s World called the “Myrtl Hip Routine”. A series of 12 floor and stand-up exercises that can be done in less than 10 minutes. Performed twice or three times a week will do wonders for your tight hips. I can only talk through my experience but unless you have underlying orthopedic issues, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I started with 10 of each move; then went up to 15 and 20. It may not be necessary to go that high, but as runners we are well known for being obstinate and overdoing things a little from time to time.

I tried to do some research to figure out who came with this routine but was unsuccessful. What I did find is that many coaches recommend with slight variances, which makes no difference. Also found that contrary to what you may think, Myrtl is not the person who developed this routine. Somehow the name is based on the are the routine is focused in, which I didn’t get either. Anyway, this is just anecdotal.

What is a fact is that all exercises are designed to increase the range of motion and strengthen your hip area. And I can guarantee you they do work. So, take advantage of your indoor, social distance time and get those hips ready for when the doors are opened again and you are ready to charge your running as if you were a bull on the streets of Pamplona during the San Fermines.

Just click here to get started.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

Abrupt End to a Bumpy 2019-20 Running Season

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Mar 18, 2020 | Article, Personal

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

With the cancellation or postponement of three races in my calendar, as activities all over the world came to a halt because of the Covid-19 pandemic, my 2019-20 running season comes to an abrupt end. I understand the reasons behind it, and they are justified. Yet, on a personal level, this is a reflection on how rough the season was for me.

Season best at the 305 Half Marathon in Miami Beach

I had a couple of non-running related injuries, which took me twice to the operating room, and had me limited in my athletic activities since May 2019. I have been able to keep myself active, first by walking and then going back to my old friend racewalking. I racewalked from 2012-15 and really enjoyed it. It was my way back into the sport after a long hiatus. But then on 2015 I started running again and improved plenty through the seasons despite the almanac doing its thing.

For the 2019-20 season I was already registered in three half marathons, which is by far my favorite distance, so rather than skipping them I trained to racewalk them. After flirting with the sub-2 last season, I had to settle to see if I could go sub-3 this season. It was a struggle to find myself towards the end of the pack after being in the middle of it no so long ago. It was a struggle to ask my friends to wait for me at the finish line party when I was arriving an hour after most of them. It was a struggle at times to reach mile 9 around two hours knowing you had another full hour to go.

My personal triumph was to go sub-3 in all three races, including a season-best of 2:54:23 at the 305 Half Marathon in Miami Beach in early March. During the season I also participated in two 5Ks and one 10K race, just for the pleasure of keeping myself competing in the activity I love and sharing my friends’ achievements.

With my 3 runners from the Miami Marathon

There were highlights to my season, though. I had the chance to run an entire 5K with my dad and finish together, holding hands. I had three coaching clients finish the Miami Marathon, two of them smashing their PRs. I was also able to lock in four more runners who requested my coaching services. Also, my half marathon count reached 40, which I take as a secondary milestone.

It is a dilemma to be so thankful about being able to keep active and participating yet being so frustrated when you see a season pass by without being able to accomplish what you would have hoped. But as the sports cliché goes: “there is always next season” and, as the suffering Brooklyn Dodgers fans used to say: “Wait till next year”. Even though I am not completely healed from my ailments, I already started running a little bit and enjoying the runner’s high, the camaraderie and the time alone with myself on the road. So, I look forward to a better season recap a year from now.

Thanks for all the support. I couldn’t have done it without it.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

You’ve Gotta Slow Down To Run Fast. Read Why

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jan 24, 2019 | Article

One of the most difficult things for runners is to go slow when we know we can go faster. We tend to think we are running “Junk Miles” instead of “Recovery Miles”. Foultips Running is an advocate for this concept and believes recovery is as key to your training as the tempos, Yasso 800s and any other type of speed work.

Some coaches rely on heart rate to set up the recovery runs, others set it up based on pace. Regardless of our method, we have to recover so we can do it again, thus avoiding injuries and burnout.

Check out this link from Runners World magazine. It is from an article published on January 2019 where it details what we preach.

📖 Recomended article:

👉 The Easy Day Pace – RunnersWorld