Marathon Training Academy

When I ran my first marathon I knew next to nothing about fueling. Oh, I did plenty of research on the internet, but still my fueling on long runs was haphazard at best. There was the time when I ate a chicken dinner 2 hours before running 16 miles and it didn’t stay down. There were times when I got light headed from inadequate fueling. In the last few months I’ve come across some information that has revolutionized my personal fueling. I can’t take credit for coming up with these ideas. Here are some guidelines for smart fueling success: Before Your Marathon. . . 1. Don’t “Tank” Up! Don’t drink excessive amounts of water or fluids in the days prior to a race or long run hoping to get a “head start.” The only thing you’ll accomplish is getting more exercise by running to the bathroom frequently. Instead make it a habit to drink water consistently throughout the day. You need approximately .5-.6 of your body weight in pounds in ounces during the day (depending on weather conditions and your activity level). 2. Back Away from the Pasta! This refers to the infamous carbohydrate loading technique. You’ll hear a lot of conflicting advice about carb loading. For me the bottom line is not to do anything radically different than what you did in training. Think back to the most successful long runs that you had and use a similar fueling technique. Leading up to a race you don’t want to stuff yourself with extra food. Any excess food that you take in will either be passed through your digestive system or stored as body fat. The time period for training your muscles to maximize their glycogen storing is during training. You have a one-hour window of time after each workout where your muscles are most receptive to storing glycogen (this is the time to carb load). 3. Put Down the Salt Don’t sodium load before a race. The average person consumes approximately 6,000-8,000 mg per day which is above the recommended dosage of 2,400 mg/day. Taking in extra sodium before your race can actually disrupt the hormonal system responsible for regulating sodium and your fluid balance. Sodium is only one electrolyte that’s necessary in the body. If you’ll be running more than 3 hours or in hot, humid conditions (or you have a history of cramping) you may want to consider a sports drink with a full profile of electrolytes or some electrolyte tablets. Be sure to practice using any electrolyte supplements before race day. 4. Don’t Pig Out the Night Before Your race You won’t cause your body to store extra carbohydrates. The only thing you’ll actually accomplish is clogging your digestive system and causing water retention. Eat that pre-race dinner until you’re satisfied and save any indulgence foods to celebrate after the race. 5. Don’t Eat the Morning of Your Race. Here’s more of the story on this one. If your race is over 60 minutes in length, don’t consume any calories three hours prior to the race. Eating a prerace meal at the wrong time will negatively affect how your body uses its limited supply of glycogen. Glycogen is how your body stores fuel and it is broken down into glucose to maintain steady blood sugar levels, which controls your energy level. If you eat less than 3 hours pre-race it will stimulate an added release of insulin which will cause you to burn through your glycogen more quickly. Even though your stomach may be empty in the morning, your muscles still have their full supply of glycogen on board. The only thing that eating a pre-race meal does (besides filling your stomach) is to top off the glycogen supply in your liver (which is tapped into during your night’s fast). Don’t sacrifice sleep to eat. If the thought of waking up at 3- 4am to eat sounds nauseating, a better strategy may be to consume 1-2 energy gels 5-10 minutes before the start of the marathon. This will top off the liver glycogen stores nicely,

In this episode Angie answers questions about minimalist shoes, running with asthma, busting down the wall, IT band pain, plantar fasciitis, pronation, pre and post race meals, mantras, and motivation.

Want to set a personal record (PR) at your next 5k, 10k, half marathon, or marathon? This podcast will tell you how to shave minutes off your time. Running a PR can even be more satisfying than winning an age group award because most of us run to compete against ourselves. We know that we’ll never be Olympic athletes or even win a marathon. Yet we know that somewhere deep down inside of us resides the best we are capable of. Click here to reserve a room with Drury Hotels, the official hotel sponsor of the MTA podcast. Save $10 on your room and get 2 free months of membership to Marathon Training Academy. Check out our video below. Are You Ready to PR? Setting a PR will require a goal, focus, and mental, physical, and psychological commitment. If you’re a beginning runner then this is not the time to set ambitious time goals for yourself. Your goal should be to establish a solid running base and simply finish the race. After you finish a few races you’ll start thinking about how to get faster. If your last marathon was 2 years ago and you haven’t been running regularly since that time, it wouldn’t be advisable to train for a PR. You have to push the “reset” button if you’ve taken some time off. Realistic Time Goals You don’t want to be overly ambitious and set yourself up for failure when setting your time goal. On the other hand make sure that the goal is challenging. Let’s say that your last marathon was run in 5:08. An underwhelming PR goal would be to finish in 5:07. Here are some generally accepted time increments that can be shaved off a previous race for the average runner. 5k -try to shave off 2 ½ minutes 10k -try to shave off 5 minutes Half marathon -try to shave 10 minutes Marathon -go for 15 minutes The Three Phase Plan to Setting a PR Be prepared to implement a 3 phase plan that will take approximately 4 months. Endurance Phase -builds your running distance doing easy miles. This phase should never be ignored or you risk setting yourself up for injury. You will be doing long slow runs to enable you to “go the distance.” Pace should be conversational (you can carry on a conversation) and run on a flat surface. This phase will include the long run, midweek run, recovery run, cross training, and rest days. Strength Phase -transitions from endurance to focusing on building strength. Strength running includes working on hills and doing tempo runs to strengthen your legs and cardiovascular system. It will require you to stay focused and stay at an even effort. When doing hill training look for the right hill (approximately 100-200 meters long and not too steep). Warm up for 1 mile and then run up and down the hill several times. On hills it is important to shorten your stride, lean into the hill slightly, and try to maintain an even pace. Run “through” the hill by maintaining your pace as the hill evens out (instead of slowing down). Tempo runs should be done on a flat surface and run at a pace that is just below the point where you’re uncomfortable (comfortably hard, MHR 85%). Warm up for 1-2 miles before hitting your pace and then cool down with a 1 mile jog. Speed Phase -integrates the endurance and strength preparation. Best done on a 400 meter track or treadmill. This is what will help you focus on race pace and enable you to run faster. You’ll also need a sports watch to monitor your lap times and lots of concentration. Start each speed session with a 1-2 mile warm-up at an easy pace. Keep your pace steady through each repeat and follow your session with a 1 mile cool down. Additional Resources The Yasso 800s -for estimating your finishing times. Smart Coach -for simple training plans the target your desired time. *Note they require you to set up an account to access this tool. Drury Hotels, official hotel sponsor of the MTA Podcast. -A great place for runners to stay. Here is a quick video by Trevor about Drury. Thanks for reading this post.

In this episode you get a behind the scenes look at what it takes to orchestrate a big marathon. Nancy Lieberman is the founder and president of Go! St. Louis. Throughout the past decade, she has guided the organization from an upstart marathon weekend event, to an organization that today is a year-round community wellness leader. Last year over 25,000 people participated in Family Fitness Weekend -which includes a marathon, half marathon, 5k, children's races, and the mature mile. After listening to this interview you will have a new appreciation for the staff and volunteers who made our races possible. See what it takes Interview Questions Here are some of the questions we asked Nancy in this interview. You will need to listen to this episode for the complete questions and answers. Q. Last year there were over 25,000 registered participants at Go! St. Louis Fitness Weekend. How many staff and volunteers does it take to put on an event of this magnitude? How far in advance do you start planning? A. We start planning the Monday after the last event. Our organization has six full-time staff and we also enlist 2,500 volunteers. The same volunteers come back year after year to help with the Family Fitness Weekend. We truly are a local non-profit built by the citizens of St. Louis. Q. Many of our listeners have been to a big marathon. While we are enjoying the sights and sounds, what is going on behind the scenes? What do you do during the race? A. Our day starts at 3:00 am and we don't get to go home until 8:00 or 9:00 pm. The staff basically troubleshoot and work out the details as they unfold. Three of us are on the course monitoring the flow of runners and the other three of us are around the finish line working with the media, the results company, the medical personnel, the handing out of the Mylar blankets and food. Basically we are the jack of all trades. We make sure that the experience both on the course and in the finishing area is very positive and exciting for the runners. Q. What does clean up look like after the runners go home? Are there 100,000 Dixie cups to pick up? A. While the race is finishing we have four trucks on the course picking up 350,000 water cups, 150,000 Gatorade cups, tables and chairs, trash, and discarded clothing. Then there are 425 port-a-potties on the course that need to be picked up. Q. What is the hardest part of organizing such a big weekend event? Is there anything that gives you a headache each year? A. The hardest part is coordinating 26 miles through three cities. We notify in advance every business, resident, and church that the marathon is coming through. We need to work with the police and all the street departments. There are 250 intersections to staff or block off. Then we have to place 2,500 no parking signs along the course. We try to put them up early but people take them down. Q. What is the most rewarding part of being president of Go! St. Louis? A. Watching the smiles as the runners come across the finish line and witness their success. We revel in their success like it was our own! Q. You have inspired thousands of people to get fit. What advice would you give to our listeners who would like to help their family and friends build a life of fitness? A. Pick an activity that the whole family can go out and do together (hiking, walking, biking) so that fitness becomes a core value of the in the family. There is also a lot to be said for meeting up with a peer group during marathon training. If you plan to meet your friends at the top of the street at 6:00 am then that pressure is on you to not let them down! Reward yourself afterwards -go out for coffee and revel in your success. It's all about being social but yet having fitness as what's tying everyone together. The next Go! St. Louis Marathon is April 14-15, 2012. To sign up visit www.gostlouis.org

In this episode Angie explains how to get started in the quiet contemplative art of trail running. And in the quick tip segment, where to find recorded lectures from some of the world’s best thinkers – food for thought during your long runs.

In this episode we interview Dr. Robert Maki a weight loss expert who has helped thousands of people drop the pounds without surgery, fad diets, or appetite suppressants. And at the end of this episode Angie throws down some quick tips about running in hot weather.