Download one of these training schedules to guide you through months of training. Read the criteria to decide which will work for you. Also, learn why you should be supplementing your running with some strengthening exercises and how you can get started.
8 week training program for those aiming to finish within 30 minutes
16 week Run/walk program for new runners
Train to run a 45 minute 10k
Train to run a 60 minute 10k
Reduces stress levels…everything’s right there, organized, ready to go for any weather condition.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> Pick a size you can carry on a plane
> A Shoe pocket is great to keep your shoes separate from your clothing
> Wet Dry Pocket (for after the rain!)
> Water bottle holder
> Straps that work for you!
TIP: Carry your bag and all items on the Plane!!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
Ask your Running Specialist Dealer! Try Mizuno’s Precision Fit on-line to know what you need!
TIP: Your feet swell during your run, so don’t worry about the size. Listen to your Running Specialist!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> DryLite for summer, Breath Thermo for winter.
> Constructed arch rings that hold the sock in place.
> Ventilated areas for temperature and moisture release.
TIP: Ask your Running Specialist whether a padded or “skin” sock is right for you.
Women: The Right Sport Bra
> Wearing the wrong size bra is like wearing the wrong size shoes
> 70% of us are making that mistake.
> Determine your true bra size and the one that will give you the most comfort and support. (Either pull-over compression style if you are A or B cup size or more supportive bra-style for larger cup sizes)
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> Obviously the right size!
> Right support level for High Impact
> Moisture Management Fabrics
TIPS:
• Have at least two…they will last longer and will be more comfortable
• Losing weight or inches will change you bra size
• Replace every 6 months or when your bra feel’s stretched out
• If your straps leave deep, red marks or dig into your shoulders, you probably need more support. Look for a bra with wider straps, a wider band at the bottom, and fuller side coverage
• DO NOT replace your bra right before a race, you may experience chafing!!
Men: The Right Sport Brief (Optional)
Offers additional support and is usually made of moisture management material to keep you cool and dry
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> Right support for High level of Impact
> Moisture Management Fabrics
TIP: Have at least two…one for your bag, one in the wash.
Object is to stay Cool and Dry!!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> Performance Fabrics like DryLite, Dryscience, Transpor, Dri-Fit, ClimaLite, etc, that wick perspiration from the skin and dry quickly
> Tee’s and Singlets specific to running for freedom of motion.
TIPS:
• Don’t be afraid to wear fabrics close to the body. In order for performance fabrics to work, they need to lie close to the skin.
• Moisture Management Fabrics help prevent friction, prevent chafing, keep you cooler, allowing you to be more comfortable.
• Race what you train in – don’t risk cafing in a new top on race day
• Dress like it is 10 degrees warmer – remember you warm up during the race!
It’s about fit and fabric!! Two ways to go: Woven or Knit.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> Micro-fiber shell fabrics that provide durability, yet are incredibly soft, extremely breathable, and won’t chafe.
> Micro-fibers are quick-drying, drape beautifully, and stand up to repeated washings. Moisture Management Liners with anti-microbial finishes that wick moisture and resist order causing bacteria.
TIPS:
• A pocket can come in handy, especially in a marathon (gel, candy, money)
• Never try a new pair of shorts on race day.
• Again size doesn’t matter, comfort and fit does. All companies have their own size scale.
Keeps your muscles a little warmer.
Come in loose or tight fitting varieties.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> Elasticized waistband with flatbraided drawstring
> Flat seam construction (no bulk)
> 4-way stretch in Lycra
> Moisture Management fabrics in Loose Fit
TIPS:
• More panels in a lycra tight, the better the fit.
• Key pocket comes in handy.
• Good layering piece
Depending on the season…lighter or heavier weight
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> Performance Fabrics like DryLite, Transpor, Dri-Fit, ClimaLite, DryLite, MzO, TECHNIFINE, that wick perspiration from the skin and dry quickly for lighter weight.
> Performance fabrics that have some thermal properties as well as wicking like Breath Thermo, ProCore, Therma-Tec
> Silhouettes specific to Running
TIPS:
• Great layering piece
• Also great for after workout when cooling down
• A Zip helps to make this a layering piece, easy on-off over lighter tops
Protection from the elements is a must!
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> Micro-fiber shell fabrics like that provide durability, yet are incredibly soft and extremely breathable
> Micro-fibers are quick-drying
> PU Coatings that provide additional water and wind resistance
TIPS:
• Think light weight
• Functional pockets
• Packable is the best – they can be incredibly small now
Protection from Sun, Rain, and Cold
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
> For Sun- Light cap, preferably, moisture management with UV Protection
> For Rain- Waterproof breathable cap
> For Cold- Headband or Hat with thermal properties like Breath Thermo
TIPS: Throw all 3 hats in. You’ll need at least one of them pre or post race.
Sunglasses
Vaseline or Glide
Sunscreen
Band Aides / Moleskin
Hair Ties
Plastic Bags (One garbage, two smaller baggies for feet)
Sport Watch
Sports bar / snack
Bib Buttons – prevent snagging your nice tech tees!
Camera – don’t forget to take great shots pre and post race!
WATER!! – stay as hydrated as possible the day before the race
Gels / Sports Drink – stick to what you have trained with, don’t try something new on race day!
I mentioned that I saw a personal trainer last week, didn’t I?
One of the things he did was weigh me and test my BMI. I’ve long ago made peace with the scale, and although I step on it about once every two weeks, it rarely surprises me. I can guess where I am by how my body (and clothes) feel (ultimately, much healthier guidelines than a number on a scale, but that’s a topic for another day).
I had my BMI tested once, about 19 months ago. It was 26% then, and 23% last Friday. Both are totally within the healthy range. To be honest? The fact that there is 30lbs of fat, pure fat, on my body is a little surprising to me and it kind of grossed me out. That’s a whole toddler of fat!
My husband reminded me that we need fat on our bodies and while yes, I understand that whole source of energy thing, it bothered me. Should it be lower? Is reducing my BMI something I should focus on? I wondered to myself. How low? Are these measurements accurate? What’s good, what if the outlined acceptable isn’t actually low enough?
Keep in mind, I have fairly skeptical opinions about “healthy body weights” as outlined by some two-dimension chart that takes nothing other than age, weight and height into the equation. And I think that BMI calculations don’t likely leave much room for the muscle mass on your body or bone density or anything else that might affect the number.
We are pushed into this form, women, men, athletes, the inactive, of what we should be, should look like. If you’ve ever felt like an overstuffed sausage when trying on running clothes because you are neither tall nor lithe, you’ll understand what I mean. And I guess while I’ve made peace with the scale, I haven’t completely been able to let go of the notion of what I should be.
My husband generously booked me an hour with a personal trainer at his gym last week (we go to different gyms) to talk about some good exercises for marathon training.
I skipped my long run that day so that my legs would be fresh. Or should I say “fresh” because holy lands. After a few sloooooow sumo squats, I was trembling like a… well, not like you’d think someone who puts in 40+km a week should! (It was humbling, let’s say.)
So, apparently my core is weak and my shoulders are hunched and my legs fatigue easily.
Anyway, due to the fact that my legs are still sore and I am very much dreading my run this afternoon due to said soreness, I think that there might be something to this personal training. I’m not sure that the trainer I saw was the best match for me, but I’m considering asking one of the trainers at my gym to work with me over the next couple of months.
Do any of you have any advice or experience with trainers? Any tips you’d like to share?
After the 2011 Boston Marathon sold out in 8 short hours, The Boston Athletic Association has announced some changes to how runners will enter the Holy Grail of marathons in future years.
Can read the full announcement here, but in a nutshell:
Qualifying times for 2012 will stay the same, but will be lowered by 5 minutes across the board for 2013 – and forget the extra 59-seconds that have been allowed in previous years. The new times will affect everyone trying to qualify on or after September 24, 2011.
The BAA is also implementing a “rolling admission” policy beginning for 2012 – that is, those who beat their qualifying time by 20 minutes or more will get to register first, followed by those who qualified by 10+ minutes, then 5+ minutes, and finally, those who qualified by the skin of their teeth. The exception will be anyone who has run the last 10 consecutive Boston Marathons, who can register anytime during the registration period regardless of their qualifying time.
These changes are meant to address the demand based on performance, rather than the current first come, first served basis.
Qualifying for Boston is so far outside my current ability plan that I won’t personally be affected by these changes, but I find it fascinating to ponder all the same. I am interested to hear what you think of the changes – please feel free to comment!
It was bitterly cold this morning. And I was planning on running 10k.
I don’t mind winter running, I really don’t, but lately? I don’t know. I don’t mind the cold, I don’t mind the layers,I don’t even really mind the mucky/icy sidewalks. But weeks and weeks of all three? Well, I find myself biting my tongue harder and harder so as not to complain.
But before I hit 1k today, I had to take off my balaclava. Which was weird, since the wind chill was apparently -25C. But the sun? The sun was warm you guys, warm.
Mostly, right now it feels like winter will never, ever, ever end (as it always does mid-February). But every once in a while, I’m reminded that soon, it will be March. And soon the snow will melt to slush.
The snowbanks may be too high to see around the corner, but I swear spring is there. Waiting, hiding even. But I felt it today. In that warm, wonderful, beautiful sunshine.
“Exercise is really important to me – it’s therapeutic. So if I’m ever feeling tense or stressed or like I’m about to have a meltdown, I’ll put on my iPod and head to the gym or out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls. ” Michelle Obama
GRANT: THIS NEW RUNNING PRODUCT IS AMAZING!!!!!!
VICKY: What is it… and why are you yelling?
GRANT: I’M LISTENING TO MUSIC WHILE WE ARE TALKING. I BOUGHT THIS THING CALLED “ONE GOOD EARBUD“. IT’S INCREDIBLE. IT’S THE GREATEST INVENTION EVER!!!!!
VICKY: What’s so good about it?
GRANT: IT’S LIKE REGULAR HEADPHONES, BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE OF THEM. ONE EARPHONE, BUT WITH STEREO SOUND. THE SOUND IS INCREDIBLE…. BUT YOU CAN STILL HEAR OUT OF THE OTHER EAR. IT IS GREAT FOR RUNNING. IT INCREASES YOUR SAFETY. YOU ARE MORE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS….
VICKY: And you are really annoying to talk to!
GRANT: PROBABLY, BUT SERIOUSLY THIS IS THE BEST RUNNING PRODUCT I HAVE EVER SEEN. I WOULD ALSO CONSIDER IT IF I WAS BIKING. THE BEST THING ABOUT IT IS THAT YOU NEVER HAVE HEADPHONES TANGLED UP ANYMORE. I HATE THAT. “ONE GOOD EARBUD“. CHECK IT OUT!
VICKY: Sounds pretty cool, but what does this have to do with reading? This is supposed to be a blog about reading, not shameless plugs for products.
GRANT: NO SHAMELESS PLUGS. I AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH “ONE GOOD EARBUD’. I JUST THINK IT IS AN INCREDIBLE PRODUCT THAT EVERYONE WHO HAS AN iPOD SHOULD TRY… AND THIS IS ABOUT READING. I JUST DOWNLOADED “OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA” ON AUDIOBOOK. I WILL TAKE IT OUT FOR THE LONG RUN THIS WEEKEND. I WOULD LIKE TO REPEAT AGAIN…. “ONE GOOD EARBUD“. I LOVE IT!!!!
A lot of runners are suffering from the February-Blahs right now. I had been too, but I think I just broke my rut with the best hill workout I have had in ages – I am buzzed!
When it comes to breaking out of that February State of Mind, I don’t really have a lot of advice. Seriously, I have tried everything, and things that should work sometimes don’t and things that never have before will surprise me (see reference to hill workout above). I mean, you can try running somewhere different, or with someone new, or get some new gear, or something. But sometimes, you just wanna be grumpy. And that’s okay. Just don’t let it go on too long.
Completely random video time!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2uzKJWHXRg
I had planned on running last week’s half marathon as a training run. But as often happens in races, the energy and adrenaline took hold and I ended up with sore, tired legs the next day. Nothing wrong with an easy week! I thought to myself.
Wednesday the roads were a mess and the wind was fierce. So I headed to the treadmill for the first time in… years. And after two kilometres, I got off, because wow, I forgot how much I can’t stand the treadmill. Not because it’s less of a run or anything remotely snobby, but only because it’s so boring to me. Part of what keeps me distracted when I run is the scenery. Ooohh! A bush! Ohh another runner! Oooh the OCEAN! Part of the mental cleanse that is running for me is also being in the fresh air. Huffing and pudding that stale, slightly sweaty gym air just wasn’t the same. So I did an extra sent of weights and called it a day.
Yesterday I had a list of things to do that involved driving all across the city. I sadly looked at the themometre: -20C. The upside of training is that it keeps you focused enough to run. The downside is that sometimes those runs are in -20C. I waited an hour and by the time I got outside, it had actually warmed up significantly. Still cold, but not nearly so horrible as I had expected.
The roads are messy around these parts. It’s that frozen, packed snow each morning melting into loose slush by afternoon stage of February. It’s been cold this week and snowy most days, which although it hasn’t amounted to much, has caused enough clouds to mostly hide the sun. Basically, what I’m saying is that I’m starting to get a bit tired of winter. The cold, maybe? Or maybe just the fact that my best friend and parents are in Florida and I keep seeing people’s Cuba and Jamaica vacation pictures on Facebook?
How is your running going? Do you head inside to the treadmill or bikes? Swim at the pool? Brace the cold and crappy conditions? Or just stop running until spring?
When it comes to discovering “new” foods, I have this habit of doing things to death – you know, eating the item every single day, telling everyone how much I love it, etc. Then I will typically buy a case of it and get ¾ of the way through before getting sick of it.
Right now, I am totally on a cereal kick. Normally these “kicks” are way more specific than that, but right now, any cereal will do. I mean, I have always liked cereal, but there are only certain ones that I can eat for breakfast that keep me feeling full until morning coffee break – typically the ones that are bulky and high in fibre, but low calorie so you can eat a great big bowl – and these were the only cereals I would buy.
But then one day I had a wicked sugar craving during a taper, and I didn’t want to totally throw the towel in, nutritionally speaking. So I bought a box of a sugary cereal I would never eat for breakfast. The benefit? You can eat as many sugar-coated super fruity puffs as Skittles for about half the calories – and the bonus is that I get bored of eating them long before I get bored of Skittles. That’s a good thing because I actually stop eating when the sugar craving has been satisfied, as opposed to candy where I will eat the whole bag even if it makes me sick. Not only that, the sugar puffs at least have some nutrients in them, compared to the candy.
Since then, cereal has spilled into all areas of my life. Granola bar at coffee break? No thanks, I’ll take a yogurt with some granola cereal on top. Cookies at the 3 o’clock crash? Nah, I’ll just have a handful of Mini-Wheats. Chips while watching TV in the evening? I’ll swap in a bowl of something with flakes and top it with strawberries.
Okay, sure you still have to watch the portion sizes, but bite for bite, I am finding cereals that are way better for me than some of the other crap that’s available, and they still provide a satisfying crunch. And, with so many different kinds to choose from, it’s unlikely that I will ever be stuck with a case of any one kind when I finally lose my enthusiasm.
I am always looking for new kicks – what are your favourite cereals?
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