by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Feb 21, 2023 | Coaching, List, Reflection
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
In a recent phone conversation with a runner I train, she expressed concern about two consecutive bad runs she had just experienced. She had an important race coming up in a few days, though not a goal race. She began to freak out a little bit, thinking she may not be ready, or she may fail, or she just wasnât a good runner.
I told her that these things happen to everyone. That they are an inherent part of running. When you have good days, the bad days are around the corner. Just as when you feel on top of the world but then you feel underprepared and crappy when it counts. It is part of the process, one from which you should learn, so you can keep them at bay.
One of your running dreams will eventually come to die in porta potty (Photo Pexels)
Keep running and it will happen. âWhat will happen?â, you ask: Everything! Both the good and the bad.
One or more of these dreadful things happening, even simultaneously, doesnât mean you are finished as a runner, or that your race is doomed. Just as one or more great achievements donât mean youâve made it. It only means you are travelling through one of the typical high-and-low cycles of life, which also reflects itself in your running.
40+ years in running have taught me that if it hasnât happened yet, it is only because you havenât run enough. Keep running and it will happen. Guaranteed.
The Bad:
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You will fall. Hopefully, you wonât break a bone, but you will fall.
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You will underperform in a race, just when you thought youâre PR was in the bag.
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You will crap/pee in your pants.
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You will twist an ankle. How bad, thatâs another conversation, but it will happen.
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You will have a close call with a car. Hopefully, it wonât go beyond that.
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You will have a close encounter with an angry dog. Be prepared.
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You will have to stop a run far from your finishing point and require help getting back.
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You will eat something that unsettles your stomach and spend a pre-long-run night throwing up or sitting on the throne.
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You will have a bad night of sleep, or two, or three; just before your goal race.
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You will experience uncooperating weather during your key training run or goal race.
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You will miss an important run because life just got in the way.
If any of these hasnât happened yet, just keep running.
Remember: Experience is what we get when we donât obtain what we originally set out for. Make sure you take advantage of the inevitable and learn a lesson, so you minimize the chances of it happening again.
Good things you havenât experienced will happen if you keep running. Here is a small sample of them.
One day your battery will die and you will need help getting back to the start. (Photo Pexels)
The Good:
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You will experience an unexpected PR on a race when you thought it wasnât even a possibility.
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You will overcome obstacles to realize you are stronger than you thought.
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You will reap the rewards of having embraced the lesson from a previous failure.-
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You will find the assistance from a running angel at the perfect time, or even better, you will be that angel for a runner in need.
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You will run farther and longer than you once thought possible.
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You will inspire someone who didnât know he/she was a runner to fall in love with the sport.
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You will become friends with people you couldnât believe you had much in common.
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You will find some of the best friendships of your life by hanging out with likeminded people.
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You will surprise yourself and your doctor with the results of your annual physical.
If any of these hasnât happened yet, just keep running.
Anything you may want to ad to these lists? Let me know in the box below.
by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jul 20, 2021 | Article, Coaching
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
The thrill of setting up my 10K PR, back in 2018
As any racing season moves by, you talk to many runners about what they have accomplished and what they want to accomplish. It is not just the natural flow of things among the people that do what we do, but it is also part of the fun. Most of us love to test ourselves on races because, as Dr. George Sheehan brilliantly stated: âRacing is the lovemaking for the runner. It is hard to pass upâ.
PR stands for Personal Record. It can also be stated as PB (Personal Best). There are many variations of it. As we age, some runners reset their PRs every 5 or 10 years. Others live of the former glory when the ran a sub-3 marathon 30 years ago even if they canât make it to a sub-4, now. And that is OK, too. The âPâ stands for âpersonalâ, so it is what works for you and what makes you happy. They key is to not lose sight of the reason we like to practice our sport. Nobody started their running journey so they can run a sub-20 5K or a sub-2 half marathon. All that came in later, and there is a reason for that.
As I mentioned before, while interacting with fellow runners last season, one told me she wasnât feeling that good for an upcoming 10K race so she would have to settle for not going for a PR. This after a few good races in a row where she did set 10K and half-marathon PRs. I reminded her that the body needs to recover in order to maintain itself strong and injury-free. I also asked her to remember the main reason why she started her running journey and finally suggested to go out there and just have some fun. I must have hit something there because she thanked me and said she felt better.
Brilliant quote by Dr. George Sheehan
Another runner, this one a closer friend, had registered for a half-marathon a year ago and between this time and the race, a lot had happened, including the grueling training for two full marathon PRs, the last one less than a month prior to the race. I insisted that he should just go an enjoy the race, as it had a beautiful course, but he said: âI know you are right, but when the adrenaline hits me at the starting line it is difficult to contain yourselfâ. In order to shock him I replied: âYes, I understand, but do you want your friends go through that rush while you just cheer for them, injured from the sidelines because you couldnât contain yourself?â. At the end, my friend did set a PR, finished strong and felt great, but I firmly believe the advice still applies.
My point with these two stories is that it is imperative to allow our brains to override the adrenaline and the satisfaction of being adulated for our athletic prowess in Facebook and Instagram after a PR. We started to run to get healthier, to lose weight, or fill-in-the-blank-here; and we kept going because we enjoy the freedom of being outside, keeping ourselves in motion, the social aspect of it or fill-in-the-blank-here. So, if you want to keep doing that, be smart and understand that a PR is just a by-product of your running, not your reason.
I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter. Please leave me a comment, below.
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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 ârunnerâs hiâ. 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 âLight at the End of the Tunnel Marathonâ 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 PRâd and BQâd 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 hasnât run his fastest marathon yet. Now that he has BQâd, 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.
by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Feb 16, 2021 | Coaching, Personal, Reflection
By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro
 The expectations for February 14th were high. It was the first live race for most of us in almost a year. But the South Florida weather was not on our side. The temperature at the start was 77 degrees and the humidity was at 90%. Tough running for conditions any given day, so we adjusted expectations as we walked towards the beach to the starting line of the A1A Publix Half Marathon.
I had three running pupils in the starting corral. They came from different walks of life as well as individual challenges and race goals. Given the trying racing conditions, I am satisfied with the final results, and my runners have expressed the same. This makes for a successful day.
Yolmer G. set up a PR with 1:31:12⌠Now it is time to focus on his next two, 2021 running goals.
I have been working with Yolmer G (44) for a couple of years now. His goal was to run a sub-1:30 half. He just overcame a broken big toe earlier last year and was back in top shape. The 13.1 miles were not an issue for him. Despite a physically demanding job, he committed to the battery of hard speed workouts prescribed to work towards maintaining the 6:50 pace throughout the race. He came to the race with a PR of 1:32. Unfortunately, he spent the last week keeping a bout of plantar fasciitis at bay. Even though it was a tapering week, it messed up the final tune up process. By Friday he wasnât sure if he would be able to run.
I crossed paths with Yolmer twice during the race and he looked strong, focused and with good form, which suggested the PF was under control. He passed the 10K mark within range of the goal, but the weather conditions took their toll, and a negative split was not in the books. His final time was a PR of 1:31:12. A success nevertheless, and with plenty of time to make up for those 73 seconds. After a rest period we are focusing on two other goals for 2021.
Sally K (33) is one of the most strong-minded people Iâve ever met. She excels in a high-stress job that demands a lot of her time. Originally, we started working towards a 4:20 for her first marathon. The goal was within range but a trip half around the world, two 2-week work trips, and a sick week, took their toll on her training. I have no doubt she could have ran a 5-hour marathon but at the expense of tremendous suffering through the experience. We talked about it and 10 days before race day she switched to the half.
Sam and Sally battled the heat and humidity to reach new heights on their running journeys. This is just the start.
Because of the constant interruptions on her training we could not work much on speed, so she ran on endurance alone. We planned for a 2:12-2:15 finish. The weather took its toll and yet she pushed through. She had a huge smile the two times I crossed paths with her. Finishing time was 2:14:38, ahead of 1099 participants and over half the ladies in her age group. Her 4:20 marathon is one solid training cycle away.
Samantha C. (27) approached me requesting assistance to complete her first half marathon in 20 weeks. She had run a bit here and there but nothing organized or recent. In her first week she struggled to complete 5K. She struggled with side stitches through the first half of the training. But she trusted the plan and followed it as close as possible to overcame self-doubt and realize she is indeed a distance runner. Our original plan was for a 2:30 finish. Two weeks before the A1A, we had a trial run at the Miami Virtual Half, where she surprised everyone with a 2:09:03 finishing time.
Even though an improvement of the previous mark was the A-goal, we knew in advance that weather conditions were playing against it. So the new race plan called for a 2:12ish finish unless there was anything left for a final kick. There wasnât. At the finish line she told me she had nothing left. She gave her all to finish in 2:12:59. This young lady has such a bright future in running. All she needs is experience, the commitment is already there.
Personally, I couldnât be prouder with the results of my trainees, especially under such trying weather conditions. So I take the day as a win. As an amazing day for the adventure that is Foultips.run. Thank you Yolmer, Sally and Sam for trusting my experience and guidance. I look forward to taking you all to your next running goals.
