31 DAYS!!!

Until the Salt Lake City Marathon. And I'm a little nervous.

Training has been a real struggle this time around. Last Saturday I ran 16 miles in 3 hours. VERY SLOW! I cried about 5 separate times on the run because it was so hard. I just cant seem to pull myself out of my running rut. What to do, what to do?

Here's some advice I have for myself:

• Think positively. Your mind believes what you tell yourself. If you say this run sucks, it will probably suck.
• Remember your past accomplishments and try to remember that feeling of achievement.
• Focus on your goal. Remind yourself why it is you're putting your body through the training.
• Visualize success (I sometimes visualize myself crossing the finish line with people cheering me on and throwing my hands in the air as I finish!)
• Re-evaluate your motivation. Is it for the wrong reason? Am I doing this for the love of the sport or because I don't want to be a quitter.
  
• Do you need a change of venue? Is a marathon too much to train for presently in life? Are halfs, 5k's or 10k's, or tri's a better alternative?
• Are there daily reminders of your success? Do I need to hang my metals back up so I see them and remember how hard I worked for each one?

If you find yourself in a rut, do some soul searching to figure out what part of your training needs to change. Lets hope I can figure mine out in the next 31 days!

Tricks of the trade

There are a few things to know when it comes to running, and that's what you need to find out before your race. What do you like to have on you? What don't you like to have? What outfit is comfortable? And where do you stash your keys?

I've developed a few do's and dont's for my races and I'll share them all with everyone. I'm nice like that.
Dont's:

• Wear a fuel belt. I find they ride too high on my torso which annoys me. Plus, if you are in a race where there are aid stations, you will not lack for liquid. You should also be able to stash enough GU's in your shorts, bra, where ever, to not need a fuel belt. I've worn them twice. The first time I needed it for a tampon holder, and the second time I wore it to keep a phone on me. It was okay, just not my favorite. The second time I wore it, it ended up rubbing my side raw. OUCH! Not fun to deal with in a marathon. The only time I have really had a desire for a fuel belt that holds water, is when its 90+ degrees outside and I'm running a trail with few water fountains.

Apparently I have a firm view of fuel belts. I just hate that it bounces up and down with every step!

Do's:

• Vaseline your toes. This will help prevent blisters...oh how I love vaseline on my toes. Slap it on, and dont use it sparingly.

• Take an 8 hour tylenol before your race. I love this stuff--I swear it helps. Just make sure you try it before you race with it.

• Music. Always have it, even if you might not use it. There are times when you need to focus your mind on something else besides your body--use music to distract your mind from the aches and pains. Other times I find that music drives me nuts and its one more thing for my mind to listen to. I still like to have the option of using it, so I take it with me.
  

• I've never used Body Glide, but I hear it works well for spots that rub. I may be investing in some if I don't slim my thunder thighs back down to small.

Apparently I don't have any more advice. I'm a minimalist by nature, and try to run that way. My best word of advice is to find what works for you. And use vaseline on the toes, it's wonderful.

Dressing right

I don't know about the rest of the world, but here in Utah its still a little cold out. And by little I mean yesterday we got to a high of I think 38, and I thought it was pretty warm. Still not the weather to run in shorts, but we're getting closer!

Because the majority of my races happen in the summer, I'll address those issues. I wont lie--I spent the first 16 marathons in adidas shorts, and a tank from wal-mart. I did break down last summer and buy a real pair of running shorts with the built in panties. I do really like my adidas shorts--they've pulled through for me every time.

I've only done one marathon in my "real" shorts, but here's something I didn't like. I am not tall, so to get the panties to fit right, the waste band is practically under my chest (okay, a slight exaggeration) Perhaps I got a size too big? When they are pulled up all the way, they are shorter than I like. Maybe if I had cute legs I wouldn't mind showing off some hot and toned thighs, but for the present time, I prefer to hide as much of them as possible!
My tank I have from wal-mart was the best $8 investment of my life. I now have 3 of them (went back for more once I realized they were my BFF in the running department).


They haven't been in the store for a couple of years, but they are available online for $7! Wow, go get some today! They also have bright colors which are always fun to wear in a race, it makes you easily identifiable to your fans.

I don't like running in t-shirts. They are too hot, too big (why do they never fit me right?) and just not a friend of me.

My #1 arsenol of choice is a bandana. I wish I could convert everyone to wearing one.

(I was so much skinnier 2 years ago!! So sad!)

The bandana saves you from wiping sweat from your face and it keeps your hair out of your face (perfect for the short haired runners like myself). I've only been able to convert a couple people to it, but give it a try-its awesome. AWESOME!!

As far as clothing goes, you need to wear what works for you. Everyone has bulges in different spots so if your arm rubs against tank, maybe a tighter fitting shirt is an option. Some people wear capris to keep legs from rubbing together. You just need to experiment and find what works for you. I don't spend a lot on fancy running clothes. I figure something from wal-mart is sufficient, after all, I'm just going to get it really sweaty.

Did I skip over socks? I just wear sock from wal-mart for training and for a race I will wear socks more specific to running.

Oh yes, and one more thing. The beginning of a race is always cold. I like to layer on a long sleeved shirt that I can easily take off while running and throw to the side of the race (or wrap around my waist). I always get these from a thrift store for a few bucks so I dont feel bad tossing it aside. I've been in races where a hat and gloves are worn more than half way through. So, be familiar with the weather conditions and dress appropriately. Its not fun to run while your body is freezing to death.

Up next: all that extra clutter and good advice for a race

Fueling your machine

I figured since I gave my soapbox on hydrating, I'd do one on fueling.

Oh the joys of fueling. How you and I collided for so many marathons.

Not to get overly-personal, but when I run my system shuts down. What ever I have eaten before a race will feel like a brick in my stomach. To train your body in a race, you have to train yourself before your race begins. You must teach your body to hydrate (yes, some people I know say water in a race makes them feel sick) and you must also teach your body to accept food. This is especially important in long races (ultra's and relays) where your body is relying on you to keep it nourished. I've been told the best way to adjust to eating for a race is to eat something small about 30 minutes before your training run. By small I mean a small granola bar, piece of bread, etc.

I am at the point now where my body will accept carbs the night before. I definitely don't over do it, but I have it. Usually the week of my race I will have whole wheat spaghetti for either lunch or dinner almost every day. I may skip one day of carbs to give my body a rest. Eat whole wheat over white noodles. Much better for your body. If you are not used to this kind of eating--hold back on the carb in-take. I also up my water intake this week. So--the week before a marathon up your carbs and water. Oh yes, and the night before your race, eat gummy bears. They are my favorite night before snack to help calm my nerves. Call it comfort food.

What about the marathon itself? When I had my stomach issues I would sometimes eat half of a pro bar.
They are natural, vegan, and according to the dude at the running store easily digestible, which makes for a quick source of fuel. They are even delightful to eat. For the most part they would sit okay with me. To mix it up I also eat two pieces of whole wheat bread and a banana (spread out over the drive to the start, and the waiting time) if I didn't plan in advance to buy a pro bar.

During the race I either load my pockets with tons of Gu's or safety pin them to my waistband (and I've been known to store a few between my sports bra and the bra shelf in my tank top...okay, thats my number one storage place). I now try to eat one about every 30 minutes of a race. I like the vanilla bean, tri-berry and always pack some of the espresso because it has 2x the caffeine...I think its placebo, but I pretend it works. Some races also offer oranges and bananas. The oranges give your mouth a wonderful taste, and the bananas obviously help fuel your body. Gu's pack 100 calories per pack and really help keep your body going. Be sure to drink them with water to get the maximum benefit.

Fueling is like hydrating. You have to listen to your body, experiment before the race to find out what will or wont work for you. I've seen people at the start of races downing apple juice, others eating cold pizza, and some eating Gu. Just listen to your body, it will tell you what you need. Mine always tells me when to stop eating gu, when to eat some banana, and what type of liquid I want to drink.

What I don't recommend is trying something new during the race. That can be a bad idea.

Up next:
What to wear

Hydration and why you should listen to your body

There's a lot of talk on hydration. I've heard from coaches to drink, drink, drink. I've read in articles that the average person needs 20-30 ounces of water per hour during exercise. I've also read about horror stories where people over-hydrated (dilutional hyponatremia) and either get extremely sick and even die (very few times, but its happened).

I don't really have a recommendation. I am naturally an under-drinker, and struggle with keeping myself hydrated on days that I'm not putting in a long run. However, there are a few things I've learned.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. It's amazing how far this little advice can go. Before my husband was my husband, or my boyfriend, and we were just friends he came to me asking for training advice. I listened to him, and gave him this same advice. He was watching his pace so closely, and every day trying to run faster, that his runs got worse and worse. He couldn't figure out what was going wrong. I advised him to run hard on days your body feels good, take it easier on days your body is struggling. Let your body guide you. He took my advice, and his running actually improved.

In a race I let my body guide me. I listen to it to tell me if I want water or gatorade at the next aid station. Sometimes I want both. For the most part I will stop at every station and take a swig of something. I think it would take a lot of water to actually over-hydrate, and the body needs fluid in intense activities. I will admit that I always skip the last aid station in a marathon. Usually I'm afraid if I stop to take a drink, my legs might not start running again.

This probably wasn't much help. Hydration depends on so many things, the weather, your intensity, your body, etc. My advice is to listen to your body and drink before you are thirsty and keep sipping on something to keep you hydrated.

Did I mention you should listen to your body?

Fighting the treadmill boredom

Its winter. Its cold. The sidewalks are covered in snow and ice. I ran outside a couple weeks ago armed with my under armor and although I was toasty warm, the slippery running was not ideal. So I've headed back to the gym and back to the mundane repetition of a treadmill. In the January issue of Runners World they gave a hint to saving your sanity on a treadmill.....hitting a button every 1/4 mile. I thought it was a lame idea, although I already knew when I did intervals my time went faster, but I was usually only changing every 4 and 2 minutes. So last week I took their advice and hit a button every 1/4 mile. Although I was skeptical, the result was amazing. I was out to do a 4 miler and at 3 miles my husband who had finished his run asked me how much I had left. I looked down at my mileage and gave it an extra stare because I did not believe what it said. I only had one mile left and was amazed how quickly my run went. Even though I had been watching my quarter miles tick by I hadn't been paying attention to the overall mileage. My run was fantastic, and since then I have been hitting a button every quarter mile and watching the miles speed by.

Here's what I do: the first 1/4 mile I just run a regular pace. The next 1/4 mile I up the incline to .5, then to 1.0 on the next 1/4 mile, then back to 0 incline to finish up the mile. Then I do the same with speed, up it, up it, up it, then a last easy quarter mile. Then I switch back to the incline, only I start off at 1, then 1.5, then 2, and end with an easy 1/4 mile. Then I switch to speed and start off harder than I started previously and up it, up it, and up it. So not only have I found that I am fighting boredom, but I am getting some short interval training in both speed and hills.

It works. Try it. You'll be impressed.