Unless you want your breakfast to revisit you during the race you probably need to stay away from the pancakes, bacon and eggs. A reasonable “runner’s breakfast” would be more like a bagel with peanut butter and a banana. You could also eat a small portion of oatmeal or a cup of yogurt. make sure to hydrate at this time too with water or Gatorade. Whatever you eat you want to have done it about 2 hours before the race begins. Since our race starts at 8 AM this means you want to be eating your breakfast at 6 AM. It is always a good idea to bring a bottle of water or sports drink with you to the race to be sipping on it before the race start. If you have any questions please feel free to e-mail me @ tricoach@windstream.net

It’s not too late to start training for the race. Whether you’re walking or running or running the flats and walking the hills or vice-versa for that matter, you still have time to build strength and endurance to take on this race.

Check out our posts from last year (read from the bottom up)…and we’ll add some more helpful tips.

Be sure to check back!

You may think that the track is only for fast people but I can promise you that anyone in any fitness state can benefit from a good track workout. No matter what distance run you are getting ready for the track offers you a flat area to work on your pacing and allow you to pick up your pace. Even if you can’t sustain that pace for very long it does not matter because you can always jog or walk a lap back to your car and call it a day. A typical track workout that anyone can benefit from would be doing a 1 mile warm-up (this is 4 laps) and then doing 1 lap (400 m) at a hard pace and effort so that you are breathing hard and then 1 lap easy walk or jog and then repeat. You can do 4×400 at a hard effort if you are a beginner or 8×400 if you are more advanced. Then do an easy 1/2 mile (2 laps) for a cool-down followed by some stretching. Wear your watch and time yourself on the hard efforts. What is your time?  Walkers and runners can both do this workout to see improved results.

Katie

I knew this would grab your attention. No, it’s not something my 5-year-old came up with, but it’s an actual word….in Swedish…meaning “speed play.”

In any good training program for running, you need at least 3 major types of workouts a week:  a long, slow run; a tempo run; and speed work. Usually, runners head to the local high school track to work on speed, timing themselves as they loop the track, etc. That’s great, beneficial, but can also be monotonous. If you’re looking for something to help you w/ your speed that is pure FUN, try fartleks!

My running buddy and I meet once a week early on Sunday mornings after a long hiatus from running together. We trained for a half marathon all last winter and those weekly runs were all about long, slow runs to build endurance. But since that half, we’ve both not really had a race goal and have just been winging our individual running plans. So when we finally started running together again a few weeks ago, we were lost. Were we training for speed, endurance, what?  Last week, we were bored and just not feeling it. She was talking about doing some speed work on the treadmill and how super-boring that was. That’s when it hit us. Let’s just sprint and run with wild abandon like we did when we were 10, racing toward the playground at recess. Just run and run fast!

And we did.

We’d pick a landmark and say “go!” and then run 200 meters or so at what ended up being a 5:02 minute mile pace per my Garmin GPS running watch. Man! Me? Running that fast? That was nothing but fun. That was a fartlek.

We jogged for recovery in between crazy all-out sprints and did it several more times.

This is the idea behind fartlek training. Change up your run, throw in bursts of sprints in between recovery jogs, and feel the burn. My muscles were like, “Huh?”… I was sore for two days after. But sore in a good way.

So if you’re wanting to build speed and are bored w/ the track or treadmill, try this. Here is a more informative article written by an expert.

http://ironman.com/training/17

Have a good run and don’t be embarrassed if you fartlek!

Scarlette

With the crazy hot temps and humidity recently, I decided to go for a late evening run. But I went too late, or too far… Either way, it made me want to share.

I don’t know about you, but typically, I like to get my run out of the way early in my day. In the heat of summer, the ideal time/temp to go is 6 or 6:30 a.m., but I can’t seem to make that work w/ my schedule and kids and such.  I hate pushing my workout to the end of the day b/c I’m usually so pooped that I can’t get motivated. But last night, I had no choice b/c it had been 2 days since my last run and I wasn’t going to get a chance to go this AM. Plus, I have a long run with a friend scheduled for tomorrow early AM.

So about 7:55 p.m. I headed out w/ a bottle of gatorade, a gel pack just in case, and some tunes blaring in my ear. I started around E. Lakeshore heading clockwise around the lake (the opposite route of The Ache), and felt so good that first 15 minutes that I decided to go all the way around. Now, as you know, some of those hairpin turns around the lake have little to no lighting w/ tall trees on all sides. That’s great during the daytime b/c of the shade relief. But, as the sun starting setting behind Hogback Mountain, I noticed those turns–while cooler–were darker. Did I wear reflective running wear? NO! Did I have a headlamp? NO! I thought I could make it back in time…

I crossed over the dam, peaked over to see if water was going over, and of course it wasn’t. That was just an excuse to stop for a few seconds. I continued on past the folks enjoying a meal at The Tea House…and saw boats cruising the lake w/ their lights already on as the sun sank lower. I had 2 more miles to go.

So, trying to complete this loop–heart rate in the 170s and sweat dripping from everywhere–I tried to run each and every hill to get home before that dreaded, ultra-dark 2/10s of a mile I have to endure to get home. It was getting darker still.

Loping down some hills at a nice pace…thinking, “hmmm…this is what 7 minute miles feel like,” I neared that last dark, tree-lined curve. That’s when my heart rate soared. Not because of my pace, but because I was cringing at the thought of Freddy or Jason jumping out of the woods. I turned up my music and hustled home. If they get me, I don’t want to hear ”them” coming….

The adrenalin of a scary night run did me good. I’ve lived here over 9 years and know that movie serial killers usually don’t dwell around our race roads, but the imagination and heat can get to you sometimes. Needless to say, since I’m writing this post, I got home and pushed through it.

Hopefully, your next lap around Lake Lanier won’t be a scene from an 80s horror flick. But if you do go out at night, be smart unlike me and have light and reflective-wear.

Stay cool….

Scarlette

Kimberley Westbury practices good nutrition and hydration to finish strong on a regular basis.

No matter what kind of athlete you think you are now is a good time to start drinking. No, I am not talking about the adult beverage kind of drinking but rather a whole new category of Sports Drink. They practically have an isle to themselves in the supermarkets these days. There are so many available so what do you choose? Here is my quick and simple guide and some of my favorites. If you have particular needs you really should stop by Nature’s Storehouse in Tryon and let John Cash help you choose what is right for you. John is an avid runner and knows a lot about nutrition.

Here are the basics:

• You need to drink DURING your runs in the summer. If you are out there longer than 30 min you need fluid.
• You need a sports drink with electrolytes (some sodium). You can skip the sweet sugary by choosing something like Gatorade G2. Personally I like normal Gatorade frost flavor. Find a flavor you like and you are much more likely to drink it!
• You can add much needed minerals and electrolytes to your water by way of a small power called Emergen-C. An added bonus it has lots of good vitamins in it too. Nature’s Storehouse carries this.
• Sip while running, don’t guzzel. If you want to avoid cramps drink small amounts often during your run. When I say small amounts I mean a good sip every 10-15 min
• Carry a water bottle with you or invest in something called a Fuel Belt so that you can drink whenever you want to. I prefer the kind that fits like a belt with many small bottles as opposed to one that carries a bigger bottle on your back and rump area. Keith’s Triathlon Shop in Saluda usually has these available.
• If you are going on a run that will last 60 min or more you should take a gel pack (100 calories) at about 30 min. My favorite is called Carbboom. They have a great flavor that tastes like cinnamon apple sauce. Can be found at Nature’s Storehouse.
• If all else fails you can even dump the water you carry with you over your head, it really does help during hot days.

Sure there is a lot more to sports hydration than what I have written here, but this is where to start. If you have any specific questions please add a comment to the blog or e-mail me.

For those of you who flew by me while I was running at the lake this weekend and thought I looked like I had a lot of water with me…I did! I was out running a 20 mile run and stopped at my boathouse to refuel. It was great to see so many other runners out training.

Katie

I know you’re out there. I’ve seen you. You’ve been walking and running around Lake Lanier…A LOT! You’ve been with a group of friends or just maybe one buddy or in your own zone with your music pumping in your ear. You’ve been hoofing it around Lakeshore Drive w/ your kids or dogs in tow.

You’ve been sweaty and determined.

And you’ve obviously been training for the big day.

While I’m out there myself, trying to reconquer this terrain after taking 3 months off, you’ve reinspired me and made me smile. Thanks for that. We could all use a little inspiration to get us through these grueling sticky months of summer.

See you at the finish….

Scarlette

Grunt Hill

You now have 15 weeks of training left before the “Ache” in September. On average you are going to be running or run/walking 3-4 times a week so this leaves you with somewhere between 45-60 training sessions – just think of all those miles you will be able to log in. YES, you are going to log them in your training journal. That can be something as simple as a piece of paper you keep near the door or as complex as an online journal that keeps track of all your miles, heart rate zones and times. Write it down and make yourself accountable!

Now I can already hear you thinking…”oh no, I have to run 45 times on my same 4 mile route. I am going to go insane!” Here is the beauty of training for a race – variety.

Here is the way week 1 should look:

Day 1 – Easy 30 min jog. If 30 min is way too much then 20 min. If you need to jog 30 seconds and then walk 30 seconds for the entire thing that is ok. If you are planning on only walking then alternate 30 seconds of hard walking with 30 seconds of easy walking. You are going to need a watch for this – actually you are always going to need a watch so invest!

Day 2 – It is best if you can take a day of rest inbetween. Today you are going to find a good long hill. Walk/jog 5-10 min to get your muscles warm and then walk/jog up-hill for at least 30-45 seconds. Use your arms and lean forward and get up on your toes. Now, you did it! You should walk back down to the bottom and do it again. These are called hill repeats, they will make you strong. Do be careful running down the hill if you have problems with your knees. Also note that the hill does not have to be very steep for you to get the benefit.

Day 3 – Long Slow Distance (LSD)- Today is the day that you go further and easier than you have on the otehr days. Depending on your fitness level this should be anywhere from 45-60 min. For the first few weeks those of you planning on running might end up walking more of this than running. That is ok, you have to start somewhere.

Questions or comments are welcome.

 Katie

If you’ve stepped outside your door in recent days here in the Southeast, you’ve quickly left spring and jumped straight into the sweltering dog days of summer. You can barely amble to your hot car, so forget about walking or running outside the confines of a treadmill and an amped up AC unit.

But the hilly five miles of Ache Around the Lake are awaiting you in September. And to get to race day, you MUST conquer the heat and humidity.

I know how tough it can be to tackle a brand new training program, make some headway, and then boom – the heat blasts in and you feel like you’re back to square one in terms of endurance. But don’t get discouraged – there is a secret weapon:  acclimatization! 

Acclimatization to heat takes about 10 days to 2 weeks of gradual and moderate training in hot weather. It makes sense that you can’t do your comfy workouts at the gym at 68 degrees and then try to hoof it around the lake at a temp of 82 degrees w/ 90% humidity. It ain’t gonna happen. In fact, you could set yourself up for some serious risks of heat stroke.

Start this weekend and just take your normal mileage and pacing down a few notches and be sure you are HYDRATED BEFORE you hit the road.  Even take a sports drink w/ you if you will do more than 4 or 5 miles.  Try to get in 3 workouts/week…outside either early morning or late evening…and just let your system get used to functioning more efficiently in the heat and humidity.

I remember a couple of years ago when Katie was training me for my first race, which happened to be the Ache. I had been running since February and doing okay in terms of making it around the lake, running the whole way. But I’d been sneaking away to the treadmill at the gym as the thermometer started going up in late spring. Katie and I met at the Tea House about 10 am on a June morning. It was probably already about 78 degrees and the humidity was full-on!  I thought I was going to die!!! Here I was trying to show off my beginner running chops to an accomplished athlete and I was about to pass out every mile or so. By the end of the run (which technically mutated to a sluggish walk), Katie figured out I wasn’t acclimatized. Ah, I had no idea! New to this whole new world of endurance sports, this was a real revelation.

So don’t let this heat wave–and the ones sure to come all summer long–get you down. Slowly build up and in a couple of weeks you’ll be back on track and then some.

Stay Cool…

Scarlette

Now is the time. If you’ve toyed with the idea of morphing from a leisure walker to power walker or even a runner, do it now. Spring is a terrific time to get you on the asphalt, especially around gorgeous little Lake Lanier.

I’ve been absent from this blog because I’ve been absent from running. I hurt my hip flexor (or psoas to be technical about which muscle) at the GYM (vs. running) a few weeks ago and have been doing a little PT in the last few weeks. However, last Thursday morning, I was driving around the lake on my way home around 9:30 am. I saw 2 butterflies flittering past my windshield. The lavender wisteria nestled in with budding azaleas and wild dogwoods everywhere sent me into a tizzy! I couldn’t it take it anymore. Injury, schminjury – I was going for a run even if it was just a hobble.

So I went three miles slowly and inhaled as much pollen as I could! It was great.

My point to you is that NOW is the time to get out wherever you are. If you are in the Southeast, you are experiencing what we are up here. If you are a committed walker, get out there and walk. If you are wanting to take a dip on the wild side and run a little, get a good 15 minute warm-up w/ a good power walk, then run for 5 minutes if you can. Then walk 5-10, run 5 again. And so on. It really is that simple. That’s how I started.

After my first c-section, I had to get out and do something — for my physical health, but also for the mental! I started out walking just like that, and added a little jog, then kept doing that as much as I could. Before long, the running portion of the workout got longer and longer. I was running a whole MILE and not keeling over with side stitches (those sharp pains in your side). It really does start like that.

So use the excuse of the beauty of spring to get out and start your training for this year’s Ache in September. You’ll be glad you enjoyed these few weeks of milder weather and lots of color before the heat and humidity hit!

Happy Trails—

Scarlette