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“The One Book” for 2022

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Jan 11, 2022 | List, Personal

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

In my New Year Running Resolutions for 2022 post from last week, suggestion #8 was to “read at least one running book”. As much as I believe this is an important resolution, I confess that I kind of threw that one in at the last minute, mostly because I was selecting the running books I want to read this year.

A few readers contacted me letting me know this is a clever idea and they will either pick or have already picked their running book for 2022. As an avid reader, I can’t but be delighted on the reception this suggestion had. Now, one of my readers (and dear friend), asked me that, based on this suggestion, what is “the one book” I will recommend for someone to read in 2022.

If you want to get better, learning about our sport is as important as putting in the miles. Being knowledgeable is always an advantage

The question was so broad that I didn’t pay much attention to it, at first. But as the week progressed, I kept circling back to it. Sure, there is not a straight answer to it but there must be a way around it. Somehow, this remained in my brain’s backburner and would not go away. So this is what I have come up with:

There is no way to recommend just one book. No one book encompasses everything, nor it can satisfy the curiosity of every reader. In the post, I stated that “If we want to get better at our sport, we must learn about its science, its practices, its history, and its top performers. Personal experience is important, sure, but it is not the wherewithal to become the best runner you can be.”

Based on this, I decided to segment that suggestion and propose one book from each category. So, based on your particular interest, you can have “The One Book”. It is not what was asked but I hope it fits the bill.

Science – The Science of Running, by Steve Magness: If you want to geek out and dig deep into the science of what happens inside your body when you run, this is the book for you. It is dense, full of biology, scientific references and it is not the most fun to read. But if you decide to go through it, you will come out with a deep understanding on the physiology and mechanics of what happens when you run and why.

Practices – Run for Your Life, By Dr. Marc Cuccuzzella: The author has run Sub-3 marathons for over 30 consecutive years. In this book he mixes science and personal experience in an easy-to-read narrative, without geeking out on the science side of things. He explains the importance, the right way, and the approach to human movement so you can do it smarter, stronger, and springier. This book is as much for a sub-3 marathoner as it is for a walker wanting to complete a first 5k.

Reading while running is neither safe nor necessary. This is a real photo.

History – Kings of the Road, By Cameron Stracher: This is the story of Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Alberto Salazar, and how they fueled the first running boom after Shorter’s marathon gold in the Munich Olympics (1972). It shows how running went from a niche activity by a bunch of crazies to the foundation of the New York City Marathon. This is the base for what came later, and thus, what we are enjoying, today. These were the pioneers who brought marathoning to the mainstream of participation sports.

Top Performers – There are great bios out there on Rodgers, Shorter, Johnny Kelly, Steve Prefontaine, Haile Gebrselassie and many more. But if you are delving into running bios for the first time, 26 Marathons, by Meb Keflezighi could be a good place to start. Beyond his running acumen, most of us can relate to him because he is a contemporary figure. We can also learn plenty from each one of his 26 incursions into the 26.2 monster.

Special Mention – Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall: An indispensable read for anyone interested in understanding how the human body was built to run, told through superb storytelling. This book has become a classic and there is a good reason for it. Just beware that his praise for minimalistic running shoes and barefoot running has been disproven. But other than that, it is a gem.

What is your book recommendation?

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New Year Running Resolutions for 2022

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Jan 4, 2022 | List, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

As a new year dawns on us and we focus on what we want to accomplish during the coming 12 months, our running lives should not pushed to the back burner. If we want to make sure that come December, we are not regretting a wasted athletic year, or cramming up the miles, the time to set up the course is now.

Running goals are very individual. Qualifying for Boston may be the goal of a lifetime for someone, while others qualify every year. Finishing your first marathon can be a tough yet achievable goal for you, while others are focusing on their 10th 100-miler. Goals need to be feasible and, mor important, individual.

These are a few running goals you may consider for 2022:

1 – Set up a mileage goal – One thousand miles in a year is an immensely popular and achievable goal. The 4-digit number is more of a psychological barrier than anything else, but it is feasible. The key is to break it (or whatever number you set your mind to) down to small segments you can easily manage. For 1000 miles, this is just 83.33 miles per month, or 4.8 a day if you run 4 times a week (less if you include a weekly long run). If this goal is for you, I recommend you join the 1K Run Club in Facebook, with over 8000 runners from all over the world.

Set up your course for 2022, now, so you are not cramming up, come December

2 – Add one more day of activity per week – If running mileage is not your thing, adding another day to your training is an effective way to increase your activity. If you run 2-3 times a week, that 3rd or 4th day is viable. If you run 5 or 6, this may not be a goal for you, but you can always add a yoga class or a cross training day. The key is to increase your activity as long as you are not sacrificing your recovery.

3 – Add strength training to the weekly routine – It is the most neglected part of every training cycle, yet the most beneficial to make you stronger, faster and deflect injuries. This is usually the first casualty of a busy lifestyle. But consider this: As runners, we pound on our musculoskeletal system with 3-4 times our body weight into each leg, about 800 times per mile. If we don’t prepare our bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to take on the workload, we will be rehabbing instead of running.

4 – Set up a PR Goal on a Specific Distance – Setting up for a PR in every distance in the same season is a recipe for injury. Going for a PR in every race, every week is the fastest way to burning out. Set up your main goals for the season and focus on them. If you want to run your best 5K ever, a marathon PR may not be a good mix. Figure out what is important to you and go for it.

5 – Concentrate on running easy on easy days – The biggest mistake runners make is to go to fast on easy days. There is a good reason why easy days are labeled as “easy”. It is because you are supposed to run easy. These are the sessions when you recover so you can go faster later, when you develop the cardiovascular system so you can go faster later, when you prepare your musculoskeletal system to adjust so you can go faster later. Science has determined that you won’t get slower by running slow. Quite the contrary. You must run slow to eventually be able to run fast.

In 200,000 years of history, humans haven’t evolved not to sleep. So hit that pillow in 2022 (Photo: Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels.com)

6 – Focus on Sleeping –Sleeping is the number one device in our recovery tool bag, and it is mandatory. Consider this: The Homo Sapiens emerged about 200,000 years ago and during its evolution, the need for sleep to recover and reset our systems has not disappeared. That alone should tell you why you can’t skip it. So, make sure 7-8 hours of sleep a night is part of your daily training for 2022.

7 – Keep a running log – Sure, Garmin, Runkeeper, Strava, etc., keep track of more parameters you could ever understand or need. But keeping a personal log, either handwritten or in a computer file, on your daily activity, will make a noticeable difference in the understanding of your training.

8 – Read at least one running book – If we want to get better at our sport, we must learn about its science, its practices, its history, and its top performers. Personal experience is important, sure, but it is not the wherewithal to become the best runner you can be. Reading may not be for everybody, but one book a year should be easily manageable. Find a book on a running subject that interests you and give go for it.

Of course, these are not the only athletic goals you may set up for 2022. They are just ideas to help you define what you would like to achieve this year. Pick one, pick two or pick them all, but get started right away.

What are your running goals for 2022?

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Avoiding Bathroom Issues While Running

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Nov 30, 2021 | Article, List, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Not to be super graphic, but we runners behave like little kids when it comes to bathroom issues and bodily functions related jokes. A fundamental truth of our sport is that if you haven’t pooped your shorts while running, you just haven’t run enough. Keep running and you will.

We even have a term coined to describe that inescapable moment when we will inevitably have to face nature: “Code Brown”. Descriptive enough.

Make sure you know where is the best place for a pit stop, before you may need it (Photo: Pexels)

I do believe that gastrointestinal issues in runners are as unavoidable as falling. Still, we must do our best, prepare as thoroughly as we can, pray for the best and eventually both fall down and poop our pants, anyway. But for that part that we can control, the key is to get intimate with your gastrointestinal system’s nuances. To build a relationship with it, so you can learn to listen to each other start working together.

But, as with any best friend, a spat here and there are part of the package. So, here are a few things you can work on to avoid unpleasant, running GI issues for as long as you can hold them at bay:

1 – Befriend the trial-and-error method: Make sure you take notes, mental or written, of what works on your behalf, and what doesn’t. This will allow you to know what is best to eat, when to eat it and, how much of it to eat. At the same time, it will let you know what to avoid and how far in advance to avoid it.

2 – Plan ahead: Even though GI issues may happen at any time, the most dreaded time is in the middle of the long run, when most likely you’ll be farther from home but hopefully, close to a stinky port-a-potty. Most of us have a solid idea on when we will be hitting the road, so we should time our food intake based on the best practices we have developed through time.

3 – Map out the bathrooms along your route: Hopefully, you won’t need them, but it is always good to know where they are, just in case. Gas stations, drug stores, supermarkets or isolated bushes will do the trick, but only if you know where they are.

4 – Time your pre long-run/race dinners: Some runners swear by the night-before pasta, others go for a burrito or a pizza. Regardless of the nutritious value of your meal, the key is to make sure it has been digested by the time you go to bed and/or start running. The timing of such meal, as well as pre-run snacks, is key to avoid unscheduled and unpleasant stops.

You need to get intimate with your GI system so you can manage unpleasant stops as much as possible

5 – Try various fueling products until you find “the one”: There are hundreds of in-run fueling options in the market. Gels, powders, chewables, drinks, you name it. They also come in unnumerable flavors, concentrations and with added stimulants. After awful experiences with a certain brand of sugary gel, I found my favorite and I know what works for me. The time to figure out you can’t stomach a fifth gel should not be in the 22nd mile of your marathon.

6- Figure out how fiber, sugar and caffeine affect you: While all these substances are useful when consumed in the right quantities and times, each runner has its own level of tolerance for them. A bowl of oatmeal may be good for someone’s pre-run breakfast while it will have others running to the bushes. Same with caffeine. Sugar can hit your stomach hard if you consume too much of it during your run, especially as an ingredient of energy gels. Know what is best for you.

7 – Stay hydrated: This doesn’t mean only during your run, but in general, throughout your day. Dehydration can lead to GI issues such as constipation, bloating, nausea, ulcers, and acid reflux, among others. Remember that consuming alcohol sucks the moisture out of you, so avoid it, especially on hot days.

Any tips or horror stories you would like to share with my readership?

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What I Can’t Control in My Run

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Oct 12, 2021 | List, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

When I worked for the Florida Marlins in the early 1990s, manager Rene Lachemann often used a phrase that has stuck with me, almost 30 years later. Whenever a reporter asked him about an aspect of the game that was beyond his grasp, such as a pitching change from the opponent or the weather, he would indefectibly respond: “I can’t worry about something I can’t control.” For me, this has become a life lesson: If you can’t control it, don’t dwell on it, adjust, and move forward.

This applies perfectly to our running lives.

Crowded racing conditions are beyond our control, so suck it up and move forward (Photo: Pexels)

Just like Lachemann preached, we should only worry about the aspects of our running that we can have under our grasp. Other than that, we adjust to the realities that face us on the asphalt or the trail as soon as possible and then move forward. The obstacles are not going away regardless of how frustrating they may be, regardless of how much you bitch about them, so move on.

When it is time to run, workout or race, being cold, hot, humid, raining, too many people in the gym or the Garmin is not hitting the satellites, are irrelevant. No one expects you to run in the middle of an electric storm or run by a pack of stray dogs just because you carry mace. But you can always hit the treadmill if you have access to one, regardless of how boring it may be. You can run with a bottle of water if it is too hot and/or humid. You can dress up in layers for the chilly weather. You can run by feel if you forgot your watch. You can change your route if something doesn’t feel right. You get the point.

Also beyond our control are racing conditions. A bottleneck in the first curve, having to weave around slower runners, headwinds, inconsiderate people walking five side-by-side when they should have started at the back, people who abruptly stop at a water station, etc. Unless you always run in the front, you must have experienced most of these circumstances.

An uncharged running watch is not a valid excuse for skipping a workout

There are also issues that should have been under our control that just pop up unexpectedly. I’m referring to shoelaces getting undone, dropping off your phone, not carrying enough gels or chafing, just to name few. When these things occur, is there a solution? Yes, there is: Own your mistake. Do what you must do, get over the obstacle and keep moving forward. Don’t let it ruin your race. No amount of kicking and screaming will fix it. So suck it up!

Instead, concentrate on the aspects of your training and racing that are 100 percent under your domain. Those for which you can’t make excuses. Those where, if something happens, it is all on you. I am referring to, among others:

– Following your training plan
– Following your racing strategy
– Sticking to your fueling and hydration plan
– Dressing appropriately for the weather
– Inspecting your running gear to avoid forgetting something or malfunctions
– Making sure your shoes are tied up properly
– Charging your running watch
– Developing a personal mantra that will keep you strong during the inevitable challenging times
– Preparing mentally for the workout or race you are about to undergo
– Choosing a training course or race that suits what you are trying to accomplish
– Hydrating and fueling properly before your run/race to ensure optimal results

Of course, this is not a comprehensive list of items that are under your control, just a handful of them to enlighten you on how much actually is in your hands when you set up for a training session or you stand on a starting line.

So let’s be diligent on what we can control and let’s make sure we can endure what we can’t, and then move forward.

8 Tips for Out-of-Town Racing

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Sep 21, 2021 | Article, List, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

As the fall racing season gets into full swing, the Marathon Majors are ready to finally return (sans Tokyo) and runners are excited to stand at starting lines, again, many of us are ready to reward ourselves with a race beyond the boundaries of our immediate area. Exploring the great cities of the world; or celebrating for a few days, sipping margaritas at the beach; or discovering the less traveled paths in lesser-known parts of the world, is always a bonus for our efforts.

But traveling to a race, especially if it is your goal race, doesn’t come without its challenges. It requires planning and additional preparation. If something doesn’t go according to plan, and it will, the chances of fixing it on-the-fly diminish considerably.

Always carry your race-day gear in your carry-on. You don’t want a lost luggage derailing your race (Photo: Pexels.com)

So, if you are setting out to a running/travel adventure, these are a few tips that will help you perform the best at your race while getting the most out of your trip:

1. Do not check your running gear: If traveling by plane, whatever you are wearing on race day, goes in your carry-on. The last thing you need is lost luggage derailing your race plans. You don’t want to run with brand new shoes purchased at the expo or borrowed short.

2. Run first, be a tourist later: Take care of the running portion of your trip, first. Don’t arrive too much in advance before the race. Save the tourist plans for after the race. This way you will be well rested at the starting line, and ready to enjoy as much alcohol and unhealthy food as you want.

3. Plan your pre-race meals: Never take your food intake for granted. Make sure that what you need eat it is available nearby. It happened to me once, that after identifying the restaurant I wanted in Philadelphia, I went pre-race night, and I needed a reservation. If you are staying at a relative’s house, make sure you let them know exactly what you need to eat and at what time.

4. Know how you are getting to the starting line: Do not improvise. Plan for the wort-case scenario. If you are taking a cab, know the phone number and confirm they provide service at the time you need it. Have a B plan in case there are no Ubers available. If you are taking public transportation, have the tickets purchased in advance. If a relative is driving you, be aware of any road closures due to the race

5. Make sure family and companions understand why you are there: If you are traveling with family or friends, make sure they understand that the first few days is all about you and your race. You are the protagonist. Everything else can wait until you cross the finish line. Remind them you wouldn’t be in Berlin, or Buenos Aires or New York if it weren’t for the marathon.

Preparing for time-zone changes is one of the biggest challenges for out-of-town races (Photo: Pexels.com)

6. Prepare to adjust for time changes: Never underestimate jet lag and time zone difference. They can screw your sleep and derail your race. Find out in advance how to adjust to the time zone in which you will be competing. Research what are the best ways to adjust to the number of time zones you need to adjust. There are plenty of online resource for this.

7. Pack for any weather: Remember you are not home, so you can’t just go back to your closet to pick up something. Be prepared for any weather changes and don’t rely 100% on your phone weather app. It is always better to bring back something unused than to need that pair of gloves you left at home.

8. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do at home: Pre-race is not the time to be adventurous. Trying new, exotic foods; white water rafting, Segway tours, or running a beautiful trail when all you know is the asphalt. Those are recipes to guarantee a bad race. Hold all thar for after the finish line.

Any other recommendations from your experience travelling to races?

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9 Marathon Training Mistakes

by Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 24, 2021 | Article, Coaching, List, Science

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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