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Keeping a Running Logbook

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 17, 2021 | Article, Opinion, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Maybe because I started running way before personal computers and the internet were ubiquitous. Or because I am a visual person. Or because I am just traditional. I like to keep track of my sporting activities in a written log. For years I handwrote in a 3-ring binder and, as the technology progressed, I set up a spreadsheet that has been constantly changing as I learned more about the wonders of MS Excel.

These days, with Garmin, Strava, TrainingPeaks, RunKeeper, and many, many more, you just forget about it, and someone keeps track for you. And they do so with more parameters than you will ever need, know what to do with, or care for. I do believe it is inevitable that any “serious” runner will end up with a GPS watch and an online account, and that is a good thing. But at the same time I believe that so much data, uploaded up there in the cloud, where you can access but small portions of it at a time, is not necessarily better. Yes, well into the 21st Century, I advocate for a written running log.

World Record holder Eliud Kipchoge has been keeping a handwritten running log since he turned professional

Eliud Kipchoge, —yes, that Eliud Kipchoge— has kept a had written, yearly running log since he became a professional runner. He records in every single workout as detailed as possible, also adding things and thoughts from outside the running world that may help his training. “When you write, then you remember”, he says. If it works for Kipchoge, maybe you should give some thought.

There are multiple ways to keep track of your activity. You can do it by hand in an appointment book, a 3-ring binder, or a notebook. There are also a variety of journals on sale specifically designed for this purpose. In your computer you can develop an Excel sheet to track what is important to you, or you can just write in your entries in a Word (or equivalent) document. Google has spreadsheets and documents that are accessible in your desktop computer and phone. The options, these days, are limitless.

It is important to take your time to write or type something into your journal, purposefully, so you can internalize it, meditate on it, and visualize. Your GPS watch doesn’t record your thoughts.

Your entries can be arranged, based on the platform where you keep them: daily, weekly, or monthly. My personal preference is monthly because it allows me to review a bigger segment of my training in a single glance. Since I developed my Excel sheet, I have added weekly totals, monthly and yearly totals, pace average, heart rate, temperature, humidity, cross training, and much more.

Why do we keep track?

Because when we get in a rut (and you will), you can go back to when you were doing great and check what worked for you back then.
Because when you are training for your goal race you can glance your entire training without thumbing through hundreds of single entries in Strava or Garmin.
Because when you decide to change GPS watch brand, or want to change your online tracking platform, you won’t lose the data in your account.
Because when you are looking for a specific piece of data you can flip a page or two instead of combing through thousands upon thousands of data entries that were not designed with your needs in mind.
Because you can store it by year, month or whatever parameter works for you so data will be easily accessible when you need to consult it.
Because it creates a spectacular database that will become your frame of reference to get you from where you are today to where you want to be, tomorrow.

Handwritten logbooks or computer spreadsheets can become as elaborate or a simple as your individual needs.

If by any chance I have persuaded you to give a running log a try, start right away. Now! Write down date, mileage, time and specific, detailed notes of each workout. If you did a particular mobility exercise or weightlifting routine that made you feel good, write it down. If you ran with someone who helped you get the best out of your ability, write it down. If the temperature or humidity became a pro or a con on your run, write it down. If you started with a new pair of shoes, write it down. If you feel any parameters become key in every workout, start tracking them.

The key to the usefulness of your log is the quality and trustworthiness of the data. If you fail to do your entries after each training, if you don’t keep good notes on why it went great or why you bonked, if you are just guessing your mileage and time, if you are lying to yourself, if you misplace your logs in your home or computer; then you are better off not wasting your time.

Think of all the benefits I’ve enumerated and check for yourself if they have any merits.

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The Case for Urinals at Starting Lines

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 10, 2021 | Article, Opinion, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

I visited The Netherlands for my birthday, a few years ago, and of course I looked for a race. I was going to be in The Hague, and God smiled at me with the Den Haag Marathon on the exact same weekend I planned to arrive. I ran the half. It was an unbelievable experience. The most beautiful course in one of the prettiest and quaintest cities I’ve ever visited.

But one of the memories that has endured from my experience in the Den Haag race is kind of weird. The urinals at the starting area, which was in a public park. Yes, urinals. And not just at the starting line but also in many public places around town and as permanent structures throughout several cities in The Netherlands.

Public urinal in front of the Department of Justice in Den Haag, The Netherlands.

While waiting for the gun to go off at Den Haag, I saw these weird rigid plastic structures. They were on top of a square shaped base, maybe 4 feet to a side, about 7 feet tall, each side bisected with a wall, which created four “cubicles”. Each space had a “V” shaped opening at about 3 feet high at the innermost corner. They looked like… No!!… It can’t be!!!… But they were! They were urinals and weirdest of all, men were actually urinating in them, leaving the port-a-potty facilities for those males with “bigger needs” and women.

As you may imagine, I did not take pictures of people using these artifacts, but I did take a picture of an exact one, at a later date, this one in a square surrounded by restaurants, bars and located right in front of the Department of Justice (See accompanying image). It was there 24/7 for people (men) visiting their favorite watering holes to “take care of business” without resorting to the unsanitary and illegal option of going against the walls, cars, trees or bushes. Very pragmatic, like most Dutch solutions.

I know this may be a weird topic for this forum, but I assume we are all adults and we can discuss the issue with some degree of maturity. And, since every runner has at least a handful of port-a-potty horror stories during their racing career, I wanted to make the case in favor of the use of urinals for races in the United States.

THE MATH

Let’s set up a case study with a mid-size race of 3000 runners. Let’s assume a 50-50 split on the binary genders (1500 each). And let’s assume for this example the race director calculated a port-a-potty for each 75 participants, for a total of 40. If 75% of people use the facilities pre-race (2,250) and let’s say one third of them (563) are in line at any given time before the gun goes off, this means an average line of 19 people per door. Assuming an average time of 3 minutes per use, the average waiting time is 57 minutes per user. We’ve all been there and if not, we haven’t raced enough.

Now, let’s say this same race director decides to be pragmatic and exchange just five traditional port-a-potties with 4-corner urinals placed at an appropriate location in the starting area. For this example let’s say 75% of the male users (844) are using the facilities only for urination. Then, the overall population of runners using the port-a-potties has been reduced from 2,250 to 1,406, which at 35 doors and the exact parameters of usage as before, the average runner will be waiting in line for 40 minutes. Does it sound like still a long wait? I’ll take it. It is 30% shorter. It is a start.

THE SOLUTION

There is a solution to this problem. Do we have the maturity to solve it?

I don’t assume to be speaking for all male runners, but I believe I am for a vast majority. Let’s face it, most of us at some point have found a tree, a bush or a wall to relieve ourselves while waiting at the starting area of a race. And while there, very likely have witnessed females crouching with their shorts half down doing the same and for the same reason as us. And let’s come clear here, there is nothing sexy or sexual about adults exposing themselves to take care of business before a race. I haven’t experienced the first sexual frenzy in such situation. So let’s grow up and find a solution. There is one and it has been in use in Europe for years.

A difference between the Dutch and the Americans is that the former are extremely pragmatic in the solutions to their public issues while the latter are still embarrassedly prudish with anything related to sexual organs, even if they are being used for purposes other than procreation or related fun-driven activities. While the municipality of Amsterdam installed urinals around the bar areas once they figured out a substantial percentage of drowned men in the canals were found drunk and with their fly open, in the USA we would face a “Today Show exclusive investigation on the immorality of urinals in foot races”, reported by non-runners, despite the fact that it will ameliorate a big problem within this industry.

The use of port-a-potties is as part of a race as complaining of nagging injuries with your friends. None of them are going away anytime soon. There is a solution out there. Can we grow up and use it? Or are we to prudish to implement it?

Any thoughts?

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Fours PRs, a BQ and a 62 Minute Marathon Improvement

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jun 29, 2021 | Coaching, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

As a coach, you put the same emphasis and hard work on every athlete that passes through your programs. You make sure to provide every single one of them with all the tools at your disposal to get the best out of their individual capabilities during their quest to achieve their goals. Yet, every so often, a special runner shows up at your door, just by chance, and blows your mind. For me, this runner is Yolmer Garcia, 45. A Venezuelan native currently residing in Pompano Beach, Florida.

A committed athlete with a personalized training program. Results speak for themselves.

I met Yolmer just by chance. We both ran at the Pompano Beach Airpark trail and from crossing paths on a regular basis, just started giving each other the “runner’s hi”. Then, when we coincided at the parking lot, we exchanged pleasantries and talked running. Two and a half years later, not only we have become good friends, but he has also exceeded all my expectations. As the title of this post reveals, he has improved leaps and bounds, and he is just getting started.

When I met him, sometime in late 2018, he was just a guy who loved running. With a ton of natural talent but no plan beyond running whatever he felt his body allowed him on any particular day. He had a few half marathons around 1:42. Not only he wanted to run a marathon, but he had already registered for Miami 2019 and was going to do it, rain-or-shine.

His first marathon was quite an adventure, given we only had 10 weeks prior to race day. We focused exclusively on distance. No time for speed. He had to go with whatever he had already built. He completed the race in a competent 4:16:31. Not bad at all, but not close to his potential as a runner. Plenty of space for improvement.

As he finished the “Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon” in North Bend, WA., on June 13, 2021, he has improved his half marathon time to 1:31:15 and lowered his marathon time 62:15, since his maiden journey into the 26.2 monster.

Yolmer was lucky enough to get into the New York City Marathon for November 2019. We set up a 20-week training program with all the necessary elements. A PR was a given, it was a matter of by how much. Unfortunately, he had severe leg cramping as he crossed from Bronx to Manhattan and his finishing time suffered considerably. Still, he finishes in 3:54:36, a 21:55-minute PR. An amazing performance regardless, and gutsy given the circumstances.

Hal Marathon PR has come down from 1:42 to 1:31

The redeeming race was Miami 2020. A plan was set to build on endurance so he could set a comfortable PR. We wanted to focus on having a more enjoyable experience through which he could build the confidence that he is able to finish strong and without cramping. Despite a bumpy last month, when life and work got in the way of training, Yolmer was able to set a 10:30 PR, finishing in 3:43:36 without cramping. Awesome, but still not within his potential.

As races resumed after the Covid pandemic, we worked on speed to tune him up for the best half marathon time we could get. He ran 1:32 in Space Coast, 1:33 in the Miami virtual and his current PR of 1:31 in A1A Ft. Lauderdale. Then it was time for the Tunnel Marathon in Washington State.

Training was not without its challenges. South Florida is flat, at sea level and with little trails to recreate race conditions. Yet, we did the best we could with what we had available. Because Yolmer is registered for Berlin in September, our main focus was on making sure he had the distance so he could finish strong and then set up a solid speed program to fine tune a BQ. Training was solid and a PR was expected. As a coach I would have been happy with a 3:30. We must have done something right, because he PR’d and BQ’d with 3:14:01, a 29:35 improvement from his previous. Now, this is within his running potential!

From Miami 2019 to Tunnel 2021, Yolmer has improved his marathon PR by over 62 minutes (2:25 per mile), with PRs in each one of his races. And he hasn’t run his fastest marathon yet. Now that he has BQ’d, the next step in his progression is a sub-3 marathon, which I have no doubt he has the conditions to achieve. It is just around the corner. Maybe even closer that he or I think. In Berlin 2021? We will give it our best shot.

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Tears and Running

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | May 11, 2021 | Opinion, Personal, Reflection

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Tears are the reflection of the extreme emotions of our lives. We shed them out of love when our kids are born but also when a loved one passes away. We shed them out of joy over a personal accomplishment or when we enjoy someone else’s triumph, graduation or wedding; but also when we share our frustrations, failures, or broken hearts with those closest to us. Tears of joy are so ubiquitous that they even have their own emoji.

When it comes to running, it is no different. Why would it be?

Crying on the last few meters of the 2022 Houston Marathon, 7 months after open-heart surgery.

When I was 17, I went to Kilometer 30 (Mile 19) of the 1982 Caracas Marathon, where my dad was going to run in a friend. What I experienced there was so overwhelming, that on a whim, I jumped in and ran the last 12 Km (about 7.5 miles) to the finishing area. The tears I witnessed, changed my life.

I saw grown-up men crying out of frustration when they could not run any longer and had to walk. I saw every type of emotion reflected in the faces and bodies of those I passed. And I saw tears of joy as runners approached the finish line with smiles covering their faces. I was hooked. I had to experience those extremes. I didn’t know when, but I knew that one day I would run a marathon myself. That day came sooner than later, when I finished my first marathon a few weeks later, but that is a story for another day.

If I teared up or cried during my first life as a runner, I honestly don’t remember. Maybe since I was still a teenager, I thought I was invincible, and running marathons in the 3:30 range, or better in the near future, would last forever. Who knows? My first knee operation, in 1986, gave me a reality check.

I was training for the 1986 Caracas Marathon, trying to approach the 3-hour mark, when I hit my knee and ended up under the knife just 6 weeks prior to the race. I cried out of frustration when I saw my two training partners finishing in 2:56 and 3:04. But that is life.

The first time I vividly remember crying while running, was as I crossed the finish line of the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon. It was my first marathon since December 1985. A 26-year hiatus. Since then, not only I had two left-knee surgeries, but after the one in 2004, at age 39, I asked the doctor if he thought I could ever complete another marathon. He told me, in no uncertain terms, to forget it. It was not going to happen.

So, as I approached the finish line through the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, on that cold November day in Philadelphia, as I was praying in thanks to God for giving me this remarkable opportunity, I started feeling a knot in my throat. Once I was able to distinguish the finish line in front of me, tears started running down my cheeks. When I hugged my wife a few yards after the end, I was openly sobbing. This feeling was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

I have cried again on the asphalt. I did so at the finishing of the Den Haag Half marathon, my first running half after three years of racewalking. I also cried at the start of the New York City Marathon in 2017, still trying to grasp that I was there again after 32 years, ready to absorb the experience. I shed some tears at a small 5K in late 2019, my first competition after a heart procedure. And I hope I can cry some more, soon. It can only mean I am alive, overcoming obstacles and still running.

I would love to hear your crying-while-running-stories. You can share them in the comment section, below.

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My Case on Behalf of Glucosamine

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | May 4, 2021 | Article, Opinion, Personal, Reflection, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

Before we get started, I am disclosing I am not a doctor, and I am not giving medical advice. What you are about to read is just my personal experience mixed with light internet research.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are popular supplements used to treat osteoarthritis. About 6.5 million adults, or 2.6 percent of the population, have used one or both products

I’ve had issues with my left knee for a long time. It kept me from running for many years. It has always been my weakest link. But just like millions of runners, upon the recommendation of someone who I can no longer remember, I started taking glucosamine many years ago, and somehow, it kept the pain at bay and allowed me to keep running consistently for many years. This is my story, and I am sticking to it.

When I decided to give marathoning another try, as I was eyeing the New York City Marathon, I asked my doctor about Glucosamine. He told me there were no conclusive studies proving that it worked or that it didn’t. His professional recommendation was that if I thought it was beneficial to me, to keep taking it. If not, then don’t bother.

Glucosamine is not cheap. A bottle of the good stuff can go from $40-$50 for a few months’ supply. So, when it was time to replenish the stash, with cash in short supply at that particular time of the month and with the recent lecture from my doctor, I decided to skip it. A couple of weeks later, my knee started to hurt and other joints felt stiffer. How could this be? There was no proof! I ran to the drugstore, got my glucosamine and a week later, the pain was gone. This is all the research I need.

This is the brand I use and the results have been stellar. I don’t need much more research than that.

Then I thought: Of course! Why in the world would a drug company invest time, effort and millions of dollars researching the benefits of glucosamine when every drug store carries ten over-the-counter options from which you can purchase as many as you want, whenever you want? This is no moneymaker. No reason to invest just for the pure pursuit of knowledge. It works for me, and this is all I need to know. I am the research paper my doctor was unable to quote.

Glucosamine has been around since 1876. It is manufactured by processing a polymer from the shells of shellfish, shrimp, lobsters and crabs. It also comes from other animals such as cows and pigs. Newer versions made from fungi and fermented corn have been brought to market to cater the needs of vegetarian consumers.

Glucosamine is a dietary supplement, not a prescription drug. Because of regulations, in the US it is marketed as a supplement to support the structure and function of the joints. It is also directed to people with osteoarthritis. Tests have shown that you can consume up to 1500 mg per day with no adverse effects.

Glucosamine pills usually include a compound named chondroitin. According to WebMd, chondroitin is a substance that occurs naturally in the connective tissues of people and animals. As a supplement in higher doses than is found naturally, chondroitin is also a popular treatment for osteoarthritis.

Arthritis.org states that “glucosamine and chondroitin are popular supplements used to treat osteoarthritis. According to one estimate, 6.5 million adults, or 2.6 percent of the population, have used one or both products”.

Both glucosamine and chondroitin are usually found in healthy cartilage and have anti-inflammatory properties. “They also have some cartilage-protecting effects through a variety of different mechanisms,” says Chris D’Adamo, PhD, director of Research & Education at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Integrative Medicine.

Glucosamine and chondroitin protect cells called chondrocytes, which help maintain cartilage structure. In theory, these supplements have the potential to slow cartilage deterioration in the joints, and to reduce pain in the process.

Sounds good to me!

I take the Kirkland brand with 1500 mg of glucosamine with 1200 mg of chondroitin, and it has worked for me. If I ever forget to take it for a few days or if my resupply delays, my body promptly reminds me. Once again, what additional research do I need?

Please don’t take medical advice from me. I am not a doctor, nor I wish to be one. Glucosamine with chondroitin works for me. If you have joint issues, I suggest you check with a real doctor and then give it a try.

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Foultips Head Coach Was Profiled in Runner’s World

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Mar 23, 2021 | Announcement, Personal

Adolfo Salgueiro, head coach at Foultips.run, was featured last week in the “My Running Life” section of Runner’s World . The article ran last Sunday, March 21, 2021, and did so online.

In the piece Salgueiro talks about his dad as his running role model, the hardest race of his life and recommends a couple of recent Runner’s World articles that he liked.

Click on the image to go to the Runner’s World Profile

“This is quite an honor,” said Salgueiro. “Even if you don’t read it, every runner know what Runner’s World is. I started reading the magazine back in the early 1980s, usually passed down from my dad or my Uncle Raul, who was also a runner. The fact that they chose me to be featured in this section is one of the highlights of my running career.”

Runner\’s World is a globally circulated bi-monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Hearst, in the United States. It is widely considered one of the main and most respected news sources on the sport. It has been published since 1966. In the 1990s expanded by launching editions in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Turkey, either as joint ventures or through licensing arrangements with publishers in those countries.

Adolfo Salgueiro, 55, started running in his childhood, accompanying his dad in the late 1970s. He caught the running bug in his early teens and ran his first marathon at age 17, completing the distance four times by the age of 20, with a PR of 3:32:08. After a long hiatus, he returned to the asphalt in 2012. Overall he has participated in over 100 races, including 10 marathons and 40+ halves. He has competed as a runner, racewalker and in the run/walk modality. He is a Level II Certified Running Coach accredited by the Road Runners Clubs of America (RRCA).

To Check out the posting in RunnersWorld.com, you can click here.

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