Training Tip #6 - Hydration and Fueling (Part 1):

Training Tip of the Week: Hydration and Fueling (Part 1):

Since your training runs will be getting longer, (particularly for the full marathoners), and of course the weather is hot, I need to begin to stress the importance of proper hydration.  This is one of the more critical aspects of training for an endurance event, probably the single most important topic for summer distance running, and for that reason, I will address it over the course of several emails.

I have included below what I feel is a very good summary of the topic. Please take the time to read the article, although there is a lot of information (and I’ve added a few comments at the end.)  

By the way, this article is located on the Runner’s World Magazine website. You may want to check out their website and the other articles pertaining to hydration or running in general – it is a good source of info for all things related to running.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--4814-0,00.html

and here is the main website address:

http://www.runnersworld.com/

DRINK THIS
the eight rules of fluid replacement, and how they'll energize your running.

By John Brant
(Source - Runner’s World Web site)

Picture a blazing 90ºF Sunday in July. Your basic instinct tells you to lie panting in the breezeway with the dog, or poolside with a cold drink. But your so-called "higher reasoning" tells you that your success in October's marathon hinges on whether you complete today's long run. What's it going to be?

Never mind, you're a runner, so we know how you're going to answer that. Which means you need to know this: Drinking an adequate amount of fluids is the single most important thing you can do before, during, and after a run. Especially a long run on a hot day.

So grab a cool drink, find a comfortable place to sit, and listen up.

1. Drink early and often--every day. With dehydration, a drop of prevention is worth an ocean of cure. Drink water or other low-calorie fluids in small, steady quantities throughout each day, to the point when your urine flows clear. Bring a water bottle with you wherever you go, or take a drink every time you pass a water fountain at work or school. Staying well-hydrated throughout the day benefits you in ways beyond your running. It helps keep you alert and will prevent that dull, headachy feeling that slows you down in the middle of the day.

2. Fortify yourself with fluids before you run, and aggressively consume fluids during your run. An hour or two before your run or race (depending on your tolerance), top off your fluid tank by guzzling 16 ounces of water or sports drink. Then take in between 5 and 12 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during the run. If you're running for less than an hour, you'll be fine drinking just water. Your body's stores of carbohydrates and electrolytes are sufficient to carry you for at least that long. 

3. When you run long, use a sports drink. Study after study shows that for exercise lasting more than an hour, runners perform significantly better when drinking a sports drink than when drinking plain water. Sports drinks contain carbohydrates at a concentration of about 7 percent, which, by the way, is significantly lower than that in your average soft drink. This is good, because the lower concentration enables you to absorb the fluid more quickly. Its carbs provide fuel, while its electrolytes--sodium and potassium--stave off cramps, nausea, and hyponatremia (a dangerous condition caused by drinking too much water). Go with a flavor you like as this will encourage you to drink more.

4. Don't wait until you're thirsty to start drinking. By then, it could be too late. In other words, the old tenet of "listening to your body" doesn't work when it comes to fluid replacement. We often don't feel thirsty before or in the early stages of a long run, but that's exactly when we need to start drinking. Otherwise, dehydration can set off a chain of negative reactions. Since sweat is made from fluid in your blood, your blood becomes thicker as you sweat and your heart has to work harder to pump. Your body temperature rises, which creates the need for more water. Meanwhile, dehydration compromises your body's ability to absorb carbohydrates and electrolytes from your digestive tract. And so on.

5. But don't drink too much. If you feel or hear sloshing in your stomach, it’s telling you it's full, and you don't need to drink for a while. You might have to monitor this carefully, though, because we all have varying rates at which fluids leave our stomachs and enter the rest of our systems. Variations in size, gender, age, and metabolism come into play. You might not slosh; you might cramp or feel nauseated instead. Whatever signal you receive, stop drinking for at least 15 minutes.

6. After your run, drink between 16 and 24 ounces of sports drink for every pound of body weight you lost during exercise. This means you'll take in more than you lost, but that's okay because you'll urinate some of it away. Again, make sure you consume sports drinks or other fluids that contain sodium, which will help you retain the fluid you drink.

7. Beware of hyponatremia, a potentially fatal condition caused by taking in too much water and too little salt. Hyponatremia, or "water intoxication," usually happens only during long, hot runs, when a runner loses a lot of sodium through sweat and consumes a great deal of plain water. This combination may unwittingly dilute sodium levels in your blood, which sets off an electrolyte imbalance. Hyponatremia can trigger seizures, coma, and even death. Initial warning signs mimic those of dehydration, including confusion, disorientation, muscle weakness, and vomiting. Women and slower, beginner endurance runners are at most risk of this condition. Still, the likelihood of developing hyponatremia remains small. Banish hyponatremia from your worry list by 1) including salt in your normal diet (particularly a few days before a long event), and 2) drinking sports drinks, rather than plain water, on runs over an hour.

8. Be careful out there. The better your overall condition, the better you'll be able to cope with low or moderate degrees of dehydration. (Case in point: In the 1984 Olympic Marathon, Alberto Salazar lost 8.1 percent of his body weight in sweat, and still ran a 2:14.) But if you feel yourself slipping into fluid debt-symptoms include chills, dizziness, disorientation, and cessation of sweating-don't panic. Stop running, find shade or an air-conditioned building, and start drinking as soon as possible. If you don't quickly improve, ask for help or call 911. If you do start to feel better, resist running and walk or ask for a ride home. Then vow to never let yourself become dehydrated again.

Don't Let This Happen to You
Performance starts to decline when you lose 3 percent of your body weight in sweat. For a 150-pound person, that's 4.5 pounds. Beyond 3 percent, performance falls off even more sharply. Dehydration becomes a life-threatening condition when it reaches 15 to 20 percent of body weight, usually through illness.

Right This Weigh
Try this method for measuring how much water you should drink during and after your runs:

Immediately before and after several upcoming runs (especially those in hot weather), weigh yourself without any clothes on. If you lose 1 pound, this means you sweated approximately 16 ounces of fluid. Two pounds means you sweated 32 ounces, and so on. If you lose a pound consistently during your 30-minute runs, you need to replenish your fluids at a rate of 16 ounces per 30 minutes of running.

If you find you can't drink enough to offset your sweat loss no matter how hard you try, don't worry. Just make sure to "overdrink" once you finish your run. That is, if you lose a pound, you should drink one-and-a-half times your normal replenishment amount, or 24 ounces. This beverage should contain sodium, which will help you retain the fluid better.

Be in the Minority
Dehydrated athletes fatigue significantly faster than those who stay hydrated, yet the typical runner replaces less than 50 percent of his or her sweat during exercise.

According to Scale
Officials at the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run in California actually lug bathroom scales into the Sierra Nevada mountains, and place them at the aid stations. Why? So runners can weigh themselves during their trek, enabling them to balance their fluid intake with their fluid loss. This low-tech method remains the best way to figure out how much you need to drink while running

Rick's Main Points To Summarize:

1. Pre-Run: drink 20-24 oz. of water or sports drink preferably 2 hours in advance.
2. There are a number of recommendations regarding the amount of fluid to drink. Most recently I’ve seen the recommendation to drink 4-6 oz. per every 20 minutes on runs longer than 75 minutes. For training runs 50-75 minutes duration, drink slightly more – 8-10 oz. per 20 minutes.
3. The individual need to hydrate varies greatly from person to person. Thus, try track of how much you drink while on a training run.  If that’s not possible – use your thirst as a guide and drink when thirsty.  Don’t merely guzzle water as you can over drink and cause hyponatremia, which is probably a more dangerous condition than becoming dehydrated. (See #7 above)
4. Post-run drink 24-32 oz. of some for of sports drink or electrolyte blend.  Note that some “recovery” drinks on the market don’t have many electrolytes.
5. Finally, be aware if you have any problems the day following a long hot run – if you’re nauseous or have a dull headache, you may’ve become dehydrated.  If this happens to you, then you should weigh yourself before and after training to determine your sweat rate and attempt to more closely monitor your fluid and electrolyte consumption before, during and after training.

Training Tip #5 - Cross Training and Rest Days

Cross Training and Rest Days

You may have noticed the cross training days on your training schedule by now.  On Cross-training days, you should consider another form of exercise rather than running to build fitness.  This can be swimming, cycling, a gym workout or an exercise class.  Maintain an easy to moderate effort for these sessions. By doing anything other than running or walking, you give your body active recovery/rest. Or if you feel then need, just take the day completely off any exercise.

Why Cross Train? Cross training gives your feet, knees and legs a break from the pounding they receive during the training runs.  For many of you, running on a consistent basis is new, so you body is responding with aches and pains.  Cross training can still provide a means to deliver an adequate cardiovascular workout, allowing your legs a chance to recover, while strengthening the muscles that running typically does not.  So if you are having knee issues or shin splints, cross training should be an even more important part of your training.

What Qualifies as Cross Training? Many activities, indoor and outdoor can qualify as cross-training. Some examples are:

• Swimming – Swimming is ideal because it is low impact and works your whole body.
• Cycling – either outdoors or indoors on stationary bike.  This time of year you are most likely to do this indoors at your local health and fitness club. Spinning is very popular, and you may want to consider it.
• Elliptical - you can do an elliptical at the gym and it is also is low-impact
• Stair-climber
• Rowing machine
• Pilates  (I have never done this)
• Cross Country Ski Machine – I have a Nordic Track in my basement that typically gets used only when there is snow on the roads.
• Any combination of the above - especially if you're at the gym.

Listen to Your Body:  For both the full and half marathoners, it is important to listen to your body. It’s normal during training to have some soreness, muscle aches and minor pains. After all you are stressing and pushing your body to run farther than it’s used to. However, if you feel extra sore, your legs feel dead, or if you suspect that you may be developing an injury   - take an additional rest day or two!  I would much prefer that you take an overly cautious approach to training, and miss some workouts rather than over-train and cause an injury.

Training Tip #4: Run/Walk Progression

Training Tip #4: Run/Walk Progression:

For those of you who are run/walking and desire to progress to running for 30 minutes without stopping, I am providing the following information on a run/walk program.  The idea is to track the time that you run and walk and build strength gradually through the weeks until you can run for 30 minutes without stopping.  (You may need a watch that has a chronograph to track your time.) 

Here is the program; it’s taken from the Runner’s Word Complete Book of Running, however I have revised it to meet our needs. 

The total program covers 16 weeks and each workout is 30 minutes in length. (Depending on your present fitness level you may need to begin at week 5 versus week 1.)  With this program, it is intended that you complete 3-4 workouts per week.  (Note that we currently have 18 more weeks of training until event day.)

·                    Week 1: Run 2 min. and walk 4 min. Complete 5 cycles. 

·                    Week 2: Run 2 min. and walk 4 min. Complete 5 cycles. 

·                    Week 3: Run 3 min. and walk 3 min.  Complete 5 cycles.

·                    Week 4: Run 3 min. and walk 3 min.  Complete 5 cycles.

·                    Week 5: Run 4 min. and walk 2 min.  Complete 5 cycles.

·                    Week 6: Run 5 min. and walk 2-½ min. Complete 4 cycles.

·                    Week 7: Run 5 min. and walk 2-½ min. Complete 4 cycles.

·                    Week 8: Run 6 min. and walk 4 min. Complete 3 cycles.

·                    Week 9: Run 6 min. and walk 4 min. Complete 3 cycles.

·                    Week 10: Run 7 min. and walk 3 min. Complete 3 cycles.

·                    Week 11: Run 8 min. and walk 2 min. Complete 3 cycles.

·                    Week 12: Run 9 min. and walk 2 min. Complete 2 cycles and then run 8 minutes.

·                    Week 13:  Run 9 min. walk 1 min. Complete 3 cycles.

·                    Week 14: Run 13 min., walk 2 min. Complete 2 cycles.

·                    Week 15: Run 14 minutes, walk 1 minute. Complete 2 cycles.

·                    Week 16: Run 30 minutes

Training Tip #3: Run-Walk Program

Training Tip #3: Run-Walk Program

Using a combination of a run and walk is a great way to train for (and even race) your half or full marathon. Whether you intend to do more running or more walking, this information can serve as a guide for how to best utilize both aspects. Jeff Galloway, from his book “Galloway’s Book on Running” discusses some of the aspects of walk breaks during a run.

If you are primarily a runner, don’t dismiss walking out of your training program. Walking part of your marathon training and the marathon itself is not considered wimpy--in fact, it may be smarter! Read on and learn some guidelines to follow.

Both marathoners and ultra marathoners discovered one can greatly increase the length of their longest run by inserting walking at regular intervals. Some marathoners can even improve their times by taking a 1-minute walking break every mile. Also, runners coming back from injuries or illness, and new runners building their endurance, can mix walking with running in an effort to increase distances.

By alternating running and walking, from the beginning of each training session, you can cover longer distances much easier. Walking allows you to feel stronger to the end and recover faster, while building up the same levels of stamina and conditioning that would have been reached if you ran continuously. Walk breaks force you to slow down early in the run so you don't start too fast. This will keep you from using up your resources and conserves energy, fluids, and muscle capacity.

 

The earlier you take walk breaks, the better. Start your walk breaks in the first mile, before you feel any fatigue. Try a 1 to 2 minute walk break every 3 to 8 minutes. By breaking up your run into a run/walk early and often, you can still cover the distance you'd like to cover that day, burn the calories you'd like to burn, and increase the chance that you will enjoy the experience of the training.

It is better to walk for 1 minute every 5 minutes than to walk for 5 minutes every 25 minutes. By breaking up your training early--with even a short walk--you allow for quicker and more effective recovery. If you are used to walking for 1 minute every 4 minutes, but are not feeling good at the beginning of a run, walk for 2 minutes after running for 4, or for 1 minute after running for 2. 

A slow walk is just as good as a fast walk and may keep the leg muscles from getting tight. As the long miles get longer, take the walk breaks more often. If you are comfortable running for 6 minutes and walking for 1 minute, when you get to 8-9 miles or 15-18 miles for example, take a break after every 5 minutes of running, at 20 miles, after 4 minutes of running; and so on. But, don't get too locked into a specific ratio of walk breaks. The ratio should be what you feel is comfortable. Experiment with a ratio that is comfortable for you! You might want to consider investing in a stopwatch to help keep track of your timed ratio.

You may find you need to vary the frequency of your walk breaks to account for speed, hills, heat, humidity, time off from training, etc. If you think your training will be more difficult or require a longer recovery on some days, take more frequent or longer walk breaks.

In summary, even a short period of walking when taken early and regularly should:

1. Restore resiliency to the main running muscles before they fatigue.

2. Extend the capacity of running muscles at the end of your run since you are shifting the workload between walking and running muscles.

3. Virtually erase fatigue with each early walk break by keeping pace and effort level conservative in early stages.

4. Allow those with previous injuries to knees, ankles, hips, feet, etc. to train for marathons without further injury.

5. Leave you feeling good enough to carry on social and family activities!

 

Remember, just because you are walking doesn't mean you will be slower than others or have less endurance than others. It just means you may be smarter about the way you train!!

Training Tip #1 - Make Training (and fundraising) a Habit

Training Tip of the Week: Make Training (and fundraising) a Habit

Completing the training for an endurance event requires dedication and discipline. In fact, many people consider the training to be more difficult than the actual event.  For many of you, the training will require more running than you’ve ever done before.  Thus training will require you to break out of your normal habits and routines and make some changes in your life. The reality is that you have to do the hard work of training during the weeks and months ahead in order to successfully cross the finish line.  However, if you follow the training program, starting now, day by day and week by week, I promise that you will be successful this fall.  So avoid the temptation to skimp on the training program and really focus as best you can on two things in the coming months – training and fundraising (family and work obligations aside!).

When to Run?

Find a time during the day that works best for you to complete the training runs, and stick with it. This time may be morning, daytime, after work, whatever time is best for your schedule.  Treat every run like an appointment or assignment and include them on your weekly schedule.  Check each run off when completed.  One note about the weather – training for a fall event, means you will experience summertime heat. When training in the summertime heat, training in the morning is preferred over running in the heat of the day, which leads me to the next topic:

Morning Running:  If you have not run in the morning before, now would be a good time to consider it!  Running in the morning is the best way to assure that your busy schedule does not interfere with your training (and it allows time in the evening for fundraising!) Furthermore, the morning is the coolest time of day, so that will be very helpful coming soon.

If you decide to run before daylight  (or after dark), please consider your personal safety.   Wear reflective clothing, use a headlamp (you can purchase them for as little as $20 at REI or Alpine Shop) http://www.alpineshop.com/ and run with a partner (if possible).  I love to run before daylight on the trails near my house, and use a headlamp and wear reflective clothing.  I started using the headlamp a few years ago after I stepped on rock and rolled my ankle badly!

What If I Have to Skip a Run?

You should consider the training schedule to be somewhat flexible.  In a perfect world, you would complete 100% of the training runs on each required day.  Unfortunately, life has a way of getting in the way of our plans.  For a variety of reasons, you won’t be able to follow the program exactly and that’s expected.  Feel free to move around your rest days as necessary depending on your schedule.  The most important thing is to get the weekly mileage in. If you can complete at least 90% of the training runs, you will be good to go on October 21^st.

 

Training Tip #2 - General Training Guidelines

Training Tip of the Week: General Training Guidelines

Training = Stress

Exercise stresses muscles, which stimulates them to grow stronger and work more efficiently. This stress must be balanced by rest in sufficient quantity and quality to allow adequate growth. By taking days off and including easy runs/walks in your training, you will recover, rebuild stronger, and reduce chances of injury.

Just do your best to get in regular workouts every week.

Second - rest is important. By rest I mean rest days.  Rest days allow your body to recover for the next workout.  So while training - more is not better.  We want to gradually build up your endurance and speed over the next 24 weeks.

Third, for the month of May,  I believe the schedule shows you running only 3 days a week. 

Rest Days = Recovery

Rest days are SO important. On your training schedule there are at least two rest days each week. Please try to take these. Your body needs the recovery time right now. Without rest, your muscles are driven to exhaustion or injury—most running injuries result from overuse – too much training.  Your body is actually doing something when you rest—each overstressed muscle cell is actually rebuilding stronger after hard training has broken it down.

Also, the training schedule is not set in stone - there is always some flexibility to move around the workouts to better meet your personal schedule.  Since rest is important, if you move around any of your runs try to avoid three training runs on 3 consecutive days.  For the first month or so, shoot for no more than 2 consecutive days of running so that you allow time for your body to recover.  I'd prefer you skip a run or two rather than cram them in together on consecutive days.

And don’t worry if you miss some workouts along the way.  That is expected.  However, do try to rest on days you feel more tired or sorer. If this means taking three rest days instead of the two, then that’s okay.  Make completing the longer weekend training days a priority. These are typically group-training days and these are the miles that we are building up to get you to race day!

Cross training

Non-pounding cross training can encourage recovery than complete sedentary behavior (rest days are still necessary for recovery). It allows better flow, into the taxed muscles, of restorative blood containing oxygen, recovery nutrients, and more fuel. If you prefer to do cross-training on some days, choose an easy, low mileage day and replace the run or walk with water running, elliptical, rowing machine, cycling, or swimming. The idea of cross training is to keep active, yet use different muscles to give your body what is called active recovery. If you have been lifting weights for a while, it is okay to continue. However, if you find yourself fatiguing more, cut back, especially on any legwork. Core strengthening is also ideal for running/walking.

Stretching

Stretching is a personal preference. While it may feel good and can increase flexibility, studies have shown that stretching does not necessarily prevent injury. You will find running coaches all have differing opinions on this subject. Do what feels right for YOU. If you choose to stretch, do so after your training session. It is better to warm up with a slow run or easy walk for a period of about 5-20 minutes (more time is needed when mileage is longer and/or temperature is colder). This allows the muscles to gradually get stretched out as they perform the activity for which you are preparing them.

Strength Training

While perhaps not a priority over running, strength training, particularly working to strengthen your core muscles is recommended assuming you have the time and availability.  Emphasize strength training early in your training, and reduce as the miles build toward event day.  Strong core muscles will help you maintain your form and reduce the chance of overuse injuries.

Injuries

Rule of thumb to follow when you have an ache or pain...if it gets worse the longer you run/walk, it's best to stop, ice, take a day off, then try again. If the pain stays the same or even goes away, it's okay to keep going. Sometimes your muscles just need a little more time to warm up. However, if you have a nagging ache or pain, it is best to get this checked out by a doctor asap. (The sooner, the better.) Try to visit a doctor who is familiar with sport injuries. It is important if you are not sure what type of injury you have to seek medical care first especially if it is a new injury.