List Archives - Page 5 of 8

Running With a Pacer

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Dec 13, 2022 | Article, List, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A few weeks ago, I participated in a local half marathon. I didn’t feel in the shape I would have wanted, so I decided to join one of the pacers. I found the sign with my desired time (2:15) and introduced myself to a lovely lady named Veronica. And off we went running.

Around mile 5 or so, one of the runners in the group asked something that blew my mind: “When are you taking the walk breaks? Or are you running straight?” I couldn’t believe it! The time to figure that out is not on mile 5 of a race. And thus, this blogpost was born.

Most halves and marathons have pacing teams. Take advantage of their presence and let them help you achieve your goal.

Pacers have become a ubiquitous part of races. Eliud Kipchoge and his fellow elites use them to set them up for world record pushes. Elite women pushing their limits use male pacers that lead them while doing part of the groundwork. Even Roger Bannister used pacers in 1954 when he became the first human to go sub-4 in the mile.

Regardless of your point of view on pacers, they are here to stay. So, take advantage of them if you can. But running with a pacer requires certain understanding and ground rules. Here are some that I’ve come with:

1 – Let the pacer do the work for you: The pacer is there to set the pace, hence the name. If you are planning to run a sub-2 half, don’t run ahead and spend energy worrying if the pacer is catching up to you. It takes more energy to lead than to follow, so take advantage of the pacer and follow. Run with the pacing group and when you are ready, leave them behind and accomplish and your goal

2 – Know your pacer’s plan, ahead of time: Pacers are easy to spot with their signs and/or balloons. In major city races they usually have a booth at the expo so you can meet them and discuss if their strategy suits yours. Some marathons have multiple pacers with different strategies for the same time. At smaller races, they can easily be identified by their signs. Don’t wait until the National Anthem or the starting gun to figure out if the plan fits yours or not. Or mile 5.

3 – Pacers are humans: If you join a pacer, you must understand that regardless of their qualifications to be there, they are human beings. If you join in the 3:30 pacer in a marathon, you can’t expect to be his/her sole responsibility to get you to 3:30 on the dot. They may get dehydrated, need to go to the bathroom, had a bad night or whatever issues that may affect them just as it could happen to you. So, understand they are an aid, not a guarantee.

4 – Be prepared to drop your pacer if needed: Pacers are runners that compete way faster than what they are pacing. This ensures that in normal circumstances they won’t burn out. If you are running with a 4:30 pacer on a marathon, that runner should easily go sub-4. Therefore, it is your responsibility to make sure you are on your pace and be ready to drop the pacer off if they are going too fast or too slow. Do not let them burn you out, and I learned that one the hard way.

Find the sign that works for you and let its carrier do work for you.

5 – Don’t tell the pacer what to do: Pacers have a race plan that you should have discussed before you joined the group. If you feel they are going too fast, bring it up. If you feel they are going too slow, ask why, so you can decide what to do. This is different from demanding they pick up their pace or telling them how to perform their duty. They are there providing a frees service, which you are free not to use.

6 – Make new running friends: There’s usually a nice crowd around the pacers. Runners from all over the place that have similar goals as you. Take the opportunity to meet new friends and make the run more pleasant. If you prefer to keep to yourself, it is your prerogative, just know what to expect and accept you will be part of a social group during the race. It may be the price to pay for being paced.

7 – Thank your pacer: Even if you finish ahead or behind the pacer, if he/she provided a service, you benefited from it and it was free, a thank you is always the right thing to do. You can do so once you decide to go ahead of them or if you see them after the race.

Any other tips on racing with a pacer? Let me know in the comment box, below.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

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?

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

My Running Pet Peeves

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Oct 4, 2022 | List, Opinion, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

When I started thinking about my running pet peeves, my first though was: “what tin the world is a pet peeve?” Well, according to the Oxford Dictionary, it is “something that a particular person finds especially annoying.” Merriam Webster defines it as “a frequent subject of complaint.” While the term it is rooted in the XIV Century word “Peevish,” the term as we know it today originated around 1919. I haven’t finished the first paragraph and I already went on a tangent.

We all have pet peeves in our lives and running in no exception. We are all annoyed by certain behaviors by certain runners at certain times in certain situations that we happen to find particularly irritating. And, since pet peeves are by definition, individual, here are mine. Maybe we share some of them.

I am not trying to be mean or condescending here. But, since I am talking about what annoys me, please forgive my tone.

There is a reason why this is listed #1 in my list (Photo: Matheus Bertelli, Pexels)

1. Runners with loudspeakers: I don’t understand why in the age of light weight headphones, Bluetooth air pods and bone conduction headphones we must put up with runners carrying loudspeakers. How can anyone assume I want to listen to his/her music while I run? This is regardless of my liking or not of their choice of music. Do you like to run with music? Great! Keep it to yourself.

2. 5K Marathons: Marathon is a fixed distance, not a multitudinous foot race. A marathon is 42,195 meters as measured in the metric system or 26.2 miles if you prefer the imperial system. If referring to things by fractions of a unit (half marathon, quarter pounder) is appealing to you, I suggest expressing the distance as a tad above 1/9th marathon, 5/42nds of a marathon or 11.85% of a marathon. Other than that, it is just a plain and simple 5K.

3. The Full Marathon: Because of the booming popularity of the half marathon distance, talking about “the full marathon” has become a thing now. The entirety of a unit should not be preceded by the qualifying full, as it is implicit unless stated otherwise. A full marathon is just a marathon. Yes, petty, I know, but it does bug me.

4. Finish line shoppers: With your race entry you get to take part on the post-race spread as well as access to whatever the race sponsors have to offer. This doesn’t mean supermarket day. All runners that also paid and should have access to what’s offered. We’ve all seen runners with cases of hydration products, boxes of cookies and entire pizzas. Come on!!!

5. Oversharing on social media: Sure, you’re proud of your race result, or you want to receive accolades for your PR, or long run while preparing for your marathon. Yet, we don’t need to know about your half mile on the treadmill, or the two-mile brisk dog walk around your neighborhood. Unless these are true personal accomplishments, of course.

6. Running fast on recovery days: Our body doesn’t get stronger when we complete a long run, or when we nail a hard speed workout. Quite the contrary, it weakens. It is when the body repairs from that effort that it gets fitter and stronger. You won’t see the benefits of today’s hard workout for at least 14-21 days. So, make sure you recover on recovery days. Hence the name.

Is this really appropriate when you have over 40,000 runners around you?

7. Racing in bulky costumes: I dislike the clowning of the bulky costumes. As if running a marathon wasn\’t tough enough, certain runners make a mockery of it by doing this stuff. Sure, you can have fun dressed as Superman, a caveman or Pheidippides. The problem is with the bulky ones that restrict movement or view. Organizations like the London Marathon unfortunately encourage this behavior. When someone gets seriously hurt, it will stop being funny and by then, it will be too late.

8. Skipping runs because your watch ran out of battery: The watch is not the director of your running life; it is only the record keeper. The fact you missed recording one session is not going to diminish your health, your fitness returns or your ego. Hit the road and make sure you don’t run out of battery the next time.

9. Ruining other runner’s race photos: We all love race pictures, and they are ubiquitous these days. You want to look good for the photographers, and that is great. But must you go out of your way, cross the racecourse cutting runners, or jumping in between a runner and a photographer so you can have an extra pic?

10. Rude Runners: Do I need to explain?

What are your running pet peeves?

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

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.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

It’s Gotta Be Fun!

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jun 28, 2022 | Article, List, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

There are countless valid reasons why we engage in running. Health, weight loss, social interaction, doctor’s orders, keeping stress at bay, we are dopamine junkies, or fill in the blank. And, unless you have an underlying physical condition or health issue, most people can complete a 5K or even a 10K race with no major problem. More adventurous runners can get to the half marathon or even marathon club. But if you want to become more than a check-it-off-the-bucket-list runner, if you want to develop into a lifelong athlete, if you want to constantly assess your limits; your running must include one unavoidable characteristic: It’s gotta be fun!

You would be surprised at how many runners focus so much on results, times, Instagram likes and stats that never realized they could also be having fun.

Explaining why it should be fun is a waste of space. It is so obvious: if it stops being fun, then you will quit. So, I will use my space in this post to list eight basic tips you can apply to make sure you won’t get bored or burnt out in the long run (pun totally intended).

There are no podiums during training sessions. Don’t become that runner (Photo Pexels)

1 – Find a running partner or group: Even though many people run because they want to be alone and take a break from the world, someone to run with can make a world of difference in your athletic life. Being a member of a team may not work for everybody but running buddies will change your life.

2 – There are no podiums during training sessions: We all know that one person who runs all out in each single training session. The one person who will accelerate and refuses to let you pass. Well, that person is on its way to injury, burnout or both. Don’t become that person.

3 – Let the GPS watch do what it was designed to do: Always remember the GPS watch is an indicator of your performance, not the director of your training. It is the GPS watch that serves you, not the other way around. Same principle applies to Instagram, Strava and all other social media platforms.

4 – Learn about the sport: You don’t have to become an erudite on the subject, but you should know the basic elements of running physiology, science and mechanics so you can monitor yourself as you progress and prevent injuries.

5 – Register for a race: Maintaining a race in your schedule is the biggest motivation to keeping you focused on your training. If you know you must run X distance on X day and you paid X Dollars for it, then most likely you’ll plan ahead and make it happen.

Yoga is one of many options to cross train and get better at running (Photo Pexels)

6 – Cross train: As much as we love running and it is our primary sports activity, you won’t last long if all you do on behalf of your running is run. Strength training, yoga, biking, swimming or walking are just a handful of alternatives that may complement your overall program to make you a better runner.

7 – Vary the elements in your route: Switch your running course, run somewhere else, change your daily distance, vary your speed, switch the surface in which you run, the time of the day, get rid of those old, beat-up shoes. This will help you keep it fresh and exciting.

8 – Recover properly: Make sure your body has recovered from your previous workout before you take it for another hard running session. Rest and recovery are as important to your running as running itself. Recovery will keep you fresh, injury free and thus, looking forward to your next run.

Peter Magill sums it up like this in in his book Build Your Running Body: “In the long run, it’s the combination of fun and results that keep your motivation from waning. When you are accomplishing your goal and having a blast, too, chances are that you’ll keep going.”

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

Adjusting to Summer Running

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | May 31, 2022 | Article, List, Reflection, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Since the majority of my readers and trainees are in the Northern Hemisphere and the weather is warming up rapidly despite being three weeks away from the Summer Solstice, the time has come to remind all athletes that running during the hottest times of the year requires purposeful and intentional adjustments. These modifications are not optional. If you don’t alter your habits, you will not only be unable to maintain or increase your fitness, but you could get seriously hurt.

Heat related injuries won’t break your bones, but they could have lasting effects on your body, and thus, on the future of running.

So, here are 5 tips to adjust to summer running.

1 – Understand what is happening – There are two basic things that happen when you run in a hot and/or humid environment. They just are, so there is no use in fighting them.

1A – The first one is basic physics: Humid air is denser than dry air, so it takes more effort to displace a heavier mass of air, thus enhancing the effort it takes to run at the same speed.

1B – The second one is basic biology: The human body cools off by sweating and the blood contains about 92% water. The more you sweat without replenishing fluids, the more water gets sucked out of your bloodstream and the ticker blood becomes, making it more difficult to circulate. That alone, spells deep trouble.

If you can’t adjust the time of your tun, you may end up on the dreaded treadmill (Julia Larson, Pexels)

2 – Adjust the time of your running – If you live in places like Florida, Texas or similar, your two options are adjusting to run in the heat/humidity or not running at all. If you want to continue running, you must do it at the coolest time possible, when it is gentler to the body. Before sunrise or after sunset are the basic choices. Wake up earlier or wait until later. If you can’t then the dreaded treadmill seems like your option, but that comes with its own set of particularities that you will have to deal with.

A good hack is to keep your running shirt and hat in the freezer and put them on right before you hit the road. This will cool off your core and provide you with a few comfortable initial miles before the inevitable sets in.

3 – Slow your race – There is a reason most mainstream races take place in the fall or the spring. Who wants their goal race in the thick of the scorching summer? So, since summer is usually the time to get ready for the upcoming season, it is the perfect time to take care of the feared strength training and to build up your aerobic engine, which is done by running slower than usual. Your fall and spring PRs are built during the summer. Take advantage of it. Don’t worry about what the fast people in your running group may say or what your Instagram followers may think.

Hydration during the summer months is key, but overhydration can be a life threatening condition (Ketut Subiyanto, Pexels)

4 – Careful about overhydration: Hydration is key during the summer, but hydration is not only what you consume as you run. Hydration should be a 24/7 habit that will put you as close to fully hydrated when you start your GPS watch. Your body is designed to lose fluids and run without replenishing every single drop of water you lose. Don’t fall into the temptation of overindulging on water or sports drinks or you could experience hyponatremia, a condition in which the sodium levels are so diluted that it could cause seizures, coma and even death. For more on hyponatremia, I invite you to read what the Cleveland Clinic website has to say about this serious condition.

5 – Beware of the signs – Running during the summer has challenges that go beyond having to run earlier, later or slower. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two of the most serious perils from running in inhospitable climates. It is important to know and recognize the symptoms of each one, so you can adjust properly and avoid a mishap that with luck, it will only keep you out for a few weeks, without it, it could kill you. I wrote an earlier post on heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke. I invite you to revisit it by clicking here.

Running in the heat and humidity is no joke. Please be careful out there. Never lose sight that you need to live to run another day. The line between toughness and doing something stupid is very thin and if you cross it, you can get seriously hurt.

There are no medals or podiums during training, so, be smart out there and remember you are only getting ready for next season.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

« Older Entries

Next Entries »