Race Training:
For those who want to train for an upcoming race, we are providing a link to a running and training guru – Hal Higdon – who stays in Indiana, and whom I have had the pleasure of meeting a couple of times at the Chicago marathon expositions. Hal has been a champion marathoner in his time, at times less than 2:30, run over a 100 marathons, coached several thousand marathoners in his runs, and coached perhaps a million runners via his website. He is also a senior writer for Runners World.
Remember to listen to your body and take the rest days seriously, especially while training for a marathon.
"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is usually more
important than the outcome." Arthur
Ashe, Tennis player
"We are different, in essence from other men. If you want to win
something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a
marathon."
Emil Zatopek, Czech, four time Olympic Champion
Bill Rodgers, winner of four Boston and four NYC marathons:
"The marathon can humble you."
In case you have any questions and need to consider hills, humidity, cold, heat, jet lag or other conditions, drop us a line at contactus@runningandliving.com
The last week and the last day before a run
Do's and Don'ts in the week before a half or a full marathon:
Rest well and do not exert yourself in this week – your body needs to build reserves rather than deplete them at this time. Think positive and reflect on the good runs and training you have had, rather on the training that you missed.
Eat more carbs – rice, pasta etc and cut out snacks, deep fried foods, and tea, coffee and alcohol, while you drink more water and juices – build the body’s energy reserves and hydration levels
Wear the gear you are going to run in – shoes, socks, undergarments, shorts and T shirt – and sunglasses or cap, headband etc over the course of this week and make sure you are comfortable in them
Have the same breakfast you are planning to have on Sunday, on Thursday and go for a 4-5km easy run
Try to ensure that you are sleeping enough, as also well. Especially Thursday to Saturday – you need it
Study the route map of what you are going to run on Sunday and IF possible, travel along the route to get familiar with it - bridges, open hot or cold strteches, cheering points, hills, isolated sections...
DO NOT exert yourself on Saturday and try and stay off your feet as much as you can. Go to the expo on Friday.
Have an early and a heavy carbohydrate lunch and dinner on Saturday to finish around 7-8pm at the latest, to allow a couple hours for it to settle, before you sleep
Do not think of work and your life’s worries. Think of the course and the fun and excitement you are going to have
Sleep early on Saturday and get up refreshed and excited on Sunday. Don’t be anxious if you have not been able to sleep well on Saturday due to pre race excitement. You should have had a good sleep on each of Thursday and Friday (assuming the run is on a Sunday
Do’s and Don’ts On the day of a half or a full marathon:
Drink a couple of glasses of water as soon as you wake up. Stay hydrated
Have a light breakfast of orange juice, and a couple of bananas (just as you did on Thursday) 2 hours before the start of the run. No milk or anything else that is heavy or may cause your stomach to go for a toss. Nothing new today.
Put on your running gear, (cut your toe nails and check your shoe soles and inners for any small stones, socks for any wrinkles) race bib, and get to the start point at least an hour before the start – this will make sure there is no last minute anxiety of getting stuck on the way, or reaching late, not finding the start line…..
Have a few sips of water 10 minutes before the start, and loosen up a bit. Think of all the runs and the training you have put in, in the last few weeks and treat this as your victory lap
Look around you as you see people who are older, younger, fatter, thinner, stronger, weaker than you, and take in all the energy and excitement and do some loosening up
If it’s going to be warm, try and run in the shade, try to find someone you can chat with so that you can lighten the start, if it's going to be cold, make sure you are warmly clad before you reach the start, BUT shed those layers before you start the run, or have a friend meet you after the 1st km to take the extra layers back home
Try and keep slow in the first 5-7 km. We often get carried away by the excitement and run faster than we have planned. Stop at EVERY water stop, even if you are not thirsty and take in a few sips and pour some water over your head to cool you down, especially if it is warm.
Smile and cheer other runners and spectators as you run. It adds to the fun, and keeps you focused on positive thoughts
Take a couple of sips at each water point, catch your breath, walk 25 metres, and then resume
Try and put in all you have, in the last 500m when the finish line is in sight, and pass the runner in front of you
Drink some water and do some gentle loose stretches once you finish
Do some brisk walking for around 10-15 minutes at least and follow that up with dunking your legs in a cold tub. Works wonders for making sure you are not sore and aching the rest of the week
The best way to get feedback and analysis on your
running and how to improve , is from yourself.
A simple record of what you ran and what the
conditions were, help you look back to see what it was
that made the run tougher or easier than normal.
Record how you felt - physically or pyschologically -
those are critical. We NEVER feel in peak shape every
day. Sometimes we had a restless night, or alate night
because of a party, or we are covering from some minor
ailment
Then add in some notes on learnings for yourself.
A review of this, helps make us reflect better to know
better what we need to do going forward.
Open the running log which is designed to help you
with recording this.
This also has a section where you may want to input
miles run with your running shoes (we've put down space
for 3 running shoes). Remember not to run in any for
more than 500 miles or 800km. Less if you are a
heavier built person, or a severe over pronator.
See where to run, or plot your own running route, for others to follow
Have you ever been on a run and thought to yourself - 'this is a great run and I would love to tell the world about it' Or have you been traveling and wondered where the good spots to go for a run are?
Look no further.
Plot your own run. For starters Check out a running route in Delhi
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