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The Art and the Science of Coaching Runners

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jun 15, 2021 | Article, Coaching, Opinion

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A few weeks ago I went for a run with one of my trainees. He brought a friend to join in. He knew how beneficial it had been for my trainee to follow a structured, individualized, and supervised training plan. He was very aware of my trainee’s progress during the months we worked together. So, as we ran, he picked my brain with a few poignant questions.

There was one that caught my attention and kept me thinking for a few days. He was training for a 50-mile race, and he wanted to know: As a coach, what is the weekly mileage I recommend for someone wanting to complete his distance?

As you may imagine by now, there is one and only one answer for such a question: “It depends”.

It was then when I started enumerating the different variables that need to be considered before I answered such a question. There is a whole set of variables that needs to be pondered and expressed in a training plan before a goal may have a chance to be realized. These variables, among others and in no particular order, are:

* Goal – What is it that you are trying to achieve?
* Balance – There must be a reason why miles are prescribed. No junk miles.
* Rest – It is a much part of a training plan as a long run.
* Nutrition – Without being a dietitian, a coach must understand the basics of healthy eating.
* Speed work – has to be balanced between long runs and recovery days.
* Intensity – It is not about how fast but how hard you are pushing.
* Aerobic capacity – For runs over 800 mts, it is the basic measurement of endurance.
* Strength training – core and weight work are key to the success of a runner.
* Cross Training – It can’t be all running. Supplementary activities need to be performed.
* Hydration – Not only about avoiding dehydration but when and how much fluids to consume.
* Fueling – caloric intake that needs to be consumed for the body to complete the task efficiently.
* Race strategy – What will you do on race day with what you have worked so hard to obtain.
* Recovery – What to do once you are done with your training cycle, so you don’t burn out.

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Combining all these and many more variables in a reasonable, achievable, and well-balanced plan, requires knowledge, preparation, and experience, both as a runner and as a coach. But even with all these elements, coaching runners is still not an exact science.

Each body reacts different to the same stimuli, and because life affect every runner in an individual way, it is imperative for a running coach to be openminded, flexible and willing to adjust as weeks go by. This can’t be achieved by cookie-cutter, generic plan downloaded from the internet.

Running a 10K, a half marathon or a marathon is not unachievable. Hundreds of thousands of people do it year in and year out. But as you look to achieve certain distance or time goals, if you want to get the best out of what you have and/or if you want to improve and test your limits, the guidance of a knowledgeable coach, one who can balance art and science, becomes more important, if not indispensable.

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2 Breathing Techniques to Improve Your Running

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jun 1, 2021 | Article, Coaching, Reflection, Science

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A few months ago I bumped into a challenge with one of my coached runners. As soon as she reached mile 3 or 4, she got a side stitch. It didn’t matter what we tried with the timing on her nutrition or her fluid intake. Come that point, boom! Stitch! We needed to attack this problem and fast. Before it became a psychological issue.

I consulted with a few coaches I know, and they gave me their suggestions and home remedies. While we found a couple of things to temporarily remedy the nagging stitch, they were not the permanent solution we were looking for.

While researching the issue I came across a book from 2013 called “Running on Air: The revolutionary Way to Run Better by Breathing Smarter”, by Bud Coats and Claire Kowalchik. This was a publication of Runner’s World Magazine, published by Rodale.

The book goes into details about many things that are not necessarily related to breathing. So, since this is not a book review, I am skipping them. But it does go into detail on the science and mechanics of breathing and breathing while running in layman terms. To my trainee, there were two specific aspects that not only made the difference, but solved the problem:

Breathing from the belly and doing in in an add-number pattern may help you improve you running. Worth giving it a try (image from pexels.com)

1- DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

Known colloquially as “belly breathing”, involves engaging the stomach, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm, which means actively pulling the diaphragm down with each inward breath. Compared with coastal breathing, it helps the lungs fill more efficiently.

I cannot teach you diaphragmatic breathing in a few paragraphs, but I can tell you that I’ve been doing it for over 20 years, and it has worked for me beautifully. It also helps you strengthen the diaphragm, located beneath your lungs, which is the major muscle of the respiration process. It contracts and flattens when you inhale, creating a a vacuum effect that pulls air into the lungs. A stronger diaphragm means more air, more air means more oxygen for your body to burn, and less side stitches.

Regardless of your preferred type of breathing, a strong diaphragm will help you breath better, relax, meditate, improve digestion, and provide you the obvious running benefits that more oxygen in your system can offer.

If you want to learn more about diaphragmatic breathing, its benefits and strengthening exercises, click here for a YouTube video from the UCLA Integrative Digestive and Health Wellness Program, which can help you get started.

2 – RHYTHMIC BREATHING

I have been breathing on a 3/2 count (inhale for 3 steps and exhale for 2) for about 5 years, and the benefits have been tangible. I don’t even think about it anymore, it just happens. In my personal experience, it works better than the 2/2 I did for years. Once I got my hands on this book, I understood why, and it made sense.

It is because “the greatest impact stress of running occurs when the foot strikes the ground at the beginning of exhalation and also that core stability is at its lowest during exhalation”.

Based on this, it is easy to understand that by breathing on an odd count, you will be alternating sides each time you are at your weakest while hitting the ground. Think of it this way: In one mile, you will be hitting about 750 times on each side instead of 1500 on the same one. Multiply this by the number of miles you run in a week, a month, or a year, and if you are not breathing on an odd number count, my suggestion is you better start thinking about it, today.

How do you do it? Just do it. Three in, two out. It will be weird at first, but with time, it will feel more natural and within a couple of weeks you won’t even notice it anymore.

As for rhythmic breathing, there is plenty more to learn than what four paragraphs can tell you. So, if you are interested, this is a good book where to get started.

As for my trainee, she read the book, she started strengthening her diaphragm, breathing in a 3/2 pattern, and finished not one but two half marathons with a time beyond our wildest expectations. Oh! And no more side stitches.

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World Record Breaker Finishes 50K, trained by Foultips.run

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | May 25, 2021 | Announcement, Coaching

Carlos Coste is a world-class, high-performance athlete, 12-time world record breaker in the disciplines of apnea and free diving. In the last two years, the Venezuelan born athlete has ventured into the running scene with the goal of competing in the Zion 50K Ultramarathon, in Utah. A few setbacks and a bout of Covid forced the cancellation of his plan, twice, yet he still persevered. Last month, he finished a 50K ultra in Bonaire.

Running 50K in Bonaire, to make up for the Zion 50K Ultra in Utah.

“I am still a beginner in this ultra-running thing”, stated Coste. “In my first year I was coached by a friend who helped me in the transition to trail running and long distances. But then I realized I needed a coach with the experience and technical knowledge to get me to the next level. A common friend recommended Coach Adolfo Salgueiro, from Foutlips.run. I researched his background, certifications, and experience, and decided to give it a go. We connected online and started working right away.”

Coste’s training presented a few challenges from the start. He lives in the Caribbean island of Bonaire, at sea level, and his race was in Utah, starting at 3500 feet and going up from there. Also, Mr. Coste runs a successful apnea school in Bonaire, and he works with his physique on an everyday basis, so, the running is an addition to his body demands. On top of this, it was the thick of the Covid pandemic. A flexible and constantly adjusted training plan was paramount for him to reach his goals.

“During the training season there were issues with timing, small nagging injuries and this Covid thing that has affected us all” continued Coste. Coach Adolfo helped me with a fluid adjustment of the training plan. We were using a phone app that allowed us instant feedback and immediate adjustment of the work when needed. It was the perfect way to work virtually.”

Carlos and Coach Adolfo before a run in Miami Beach, in late May 2021

Amid the training, Coste contracted Covid. A mild case, thankfully, but Covid, nevertheless. Once he was cleared to continue, the focus of his training had a dramatic shift, from “let’s do great” to “let’s just finish”. As if this wasn’t challenge enough, logistics and lockdown prevented him to travel to his race. So, despite the frustration and with the help of the local running community, a 50K ultra was improvised.

“I felt great during the race,” explains Coste. “First 35-40K were exceptionally good. We started at 4 AM and it was amazing to run in the desert through the night. The heat in Bonaire hit me hard after dawn so the last 10K were rough. I had to combine run and walk, but that’s what I was expecting.”

Despite the two cancellations of his Zion 50K Ultra, which was his goal for both 2020 and 2021, and the multiple adversities he had to face during training, this word-record breaker maintains his enthusiasm for running and is ready to give it a go for 2022.

“This was just my 2nd Ultra -he concluded- And for next year I am already looking forward to running in Zion. I am already talking with Coach Adolfo so after I recover, we can start the training cycle as soon as possible.”

You can follow Carlos Coste in Instagram (@carloscoste1) and by Strava . For more information on his athletic achievements, you can visit his website at https://deepseabonaire.com.

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Foultips.Run to Coach 12-Time World Record Breaker, Carlos Coste

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Jan 12, 2021 | Announcement, Coaching

The athlete’s name is found multiple times in the Guinness Book of World Records

Foultips.run is pleased to announce it has reached an agreement to train 12-time world record breaker Carlos Coste to his first ultramarathon. The Venezuelan-born athlete is training to participate in the Zion 50K race, which will take place through the Southern Utah desert, this upcoming April 10th, 2021. This will be his first ultramarathon race.

Coste is a world class athlete in the sports of apnea and freediving (Photos courtesy of Carlos Coste).

Coste, 44, is known worldwide for his superhuman feats as a freediver. He started training in apnea and free divining in 1996 and promptly broke several Venezuelan national records. In 2002 he broke into the world scene with his first couple of world records. In October 2003, he became the first human to achieve a free immersion dive of more than 100 meters (328 ft.), when he went down 101 meters (331 ft.). This was certified as an AIDA and Guinness World Records. In 2004 he became the first freediver to pass 100 meters (102 m/334 ft.) in Constant Weight, a record he later expanded to 105 meters (344 ft.) in 2005. After rewriting the record book in the sport, in November 2010 he broke another Guinness World Record in the Yucatan Caves, with 150 meters (492 Ft) of Dynamic Apnea at the Dos Ojos Cenote.

He wants to run for the rest of his life while combining his new found passion with the sports that made him a household name. (Photos courtesy of Carlos Coste)

“I discovered my passion for trail running about two years ago”, stated Coste, “and, in addition to my freediving career, I would like to run on a regular basis for the rest of my life. I contacted Coach Adolfo [Salgueiro] to help me improve my endurance and skills without risking injury. His blog has connected me to new concepts, as well as his knowledge and passion for the sport.”

There are many challenges to this particular training program, especially because the athlete lives at sea level in the Caribbean island of Bonaire, while the race will start at an altitude of 3500 feet (1067 mts) and will reach a maximum elevation of 5500 (1676 mts). The difference in weather between both locations will also be a test of wills.

“It is a big challenge to train an athlete of Carlos’ pedigree, especially for this race”, said Foultips.run Head Coach, Adolfo Salgueiro. “We want to make sure he can compete at the same high standards he is used to. At the same time, he needs to be trained in a safe and sustainable way so he can finish his race satisfied with his results and injury free”.

You can follow Coste’s training and progress via his Instagram account (@carloscoste1) and by Strava . For more information on his athletic achievements, you can visit his website at https://deepseabonaire.com.

Adolfo Salgueiro is the head coach at Foultips.run. He currently helps runners, both in person and online, achieve their running goals, from 5K to ultra-marathons. He is certified by the Road Runners Club of America as one of only seven Level II coaches in the State of Florida and one of only two in South Florida. If you want to contact Coach Adolfo, click here.

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The Importance of Embracing Failure

by Coach Adolfo Salgueiro | Aug 26, 2020 | Article

By Coach Adolfo Salgueiro

A few days ago I got a meme where two people are having a conversation. Maybe a job interview. The meme is the first illustration of this blog post. They talk about the key to success and how to accumulate experience to make right decisions. What was the key? Wrong decisions. Why? because failure is not the opposite of success. It is part of it.

This meme got me thinking on how this applies to our sport of running. It applies to life in general, for sure, but that is beyond the scope of this blog. As runners we are always pushing our limits, both in training and races. We strive for that PR. We sweat to hit the splits on each interval. We suffer the day we feel great but the training plan ordains an off day. We can’t sleep the night before an important 20-miler but still wake up ready for action. Yet.. then… sometimes… we fail.

Common knowledge teaches us to “listen to our bodies”, but as runners, we rarely do. We even struggle with what “listen to your body” actually means. What we need to remember is that the body is a machine. An exceptionally complex, fine-tuned machine, but a machine, nevertheless. This means that it doesn’t always perform at its highest potential. Sometimes it needs maintenance, sometimes a part breaks down, sometimes you forgot to add oil or coolant. Even the best F1 cars fail to finish races due to mechanic failure.

We must understand that failure is an intimate part of our running life. Is not if we will have a bad run or a bad race, it is a matter of when. And we cannot hold this one bad day as the defining moment of our day, our training plan, or our life. Running great Dean Karnazes tells the tale of his failed attempt at Badwater in his book Ultramarathon Man, and he is not ashamed of it. Alberto Salazar also opens himself about facing death after overdoing it in a race in his book 14 Minutes. The key is, as they both tell us, what do you take from those experiences, and then how you apply what you learned while moving forward.

Imagine if we were not going to run another marathon because we hit the wall that one time. Imagine how many people would participate in your local 5K if the failed to set up a PR or place in their age group, last year. How many runners would you see on the track on any given afternoon if they could not hit their splits last week? Not very deep thoughts, sure, but so simple, so real, and so close to us all.

Thomas Edison said: “I didn’t fail. I just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”. This also translates to your 800 repeats, your first-mile pace in that 5K when you bonked, and your stupid decision of pushing too hard at mile 8 on that marathon because you were feeling so good.

As runners, it is imperative to have a short-term memory when It comes to failure so we can keep moving forward. Some need of more encouragement than others. The key is to remember that we run because we enjoy it. We are choosing the suffering. Nobody is forcing us to put ourselves in a position where we may and will eventually fail. We just must extract the lessons from what happened, put them into practice, move on and forget whatever happened that day. If we learned nothing from bonking on that long run, if we learned nothing from going out too fast the first half of that race, if we learned nothing from that day we got dehydrated; then we are bound to repeat those mistakes, and very soon.

Always remember that experience is what we get when we don’t obtain what we originally set out to get. So make sure you take advantage, and even embrace, your running failures. They will be visiting you soon enough and you should be prepared to deal with them.

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