Running 101: Injury Prevention

So, here we are…the final installment in the Running 101 series.  You can find the previous posts below:

This post will focus on injury prevention. Below are the basic rules.

• Don’t do too much too soon. This is a good reason to choose and follow a training plan to reach your goals. New runners commonly try to do too much too soon and find themselves injured. 
  • Focus on distance OR speed. Choose one goal to focus on. 
  • Follow the 10% rule. When increasing your distance, don’t increase your mileage by more than 10% per week.
• Stretch. You’ve heard it a million times and there are a million different opinions on when and how to stretch. Stretch before, stretch after, don’t stretch, stretch in manner similar to your workout…whatever. Try it all and go with what works for you. Maybe even try out some beginner yoga classes to learn some basic moves and stay flexible.
• Listen to your body. If something feels wrong…STOP. Follow the R.I.C.E. guidelines and give yourself some rest. If it isn’t better within a few days or a week, see a doctor.
• Keep hydrated. Even in cooler weather, it’s important to stay hydrated. It will help both with performance and recovery.
• Cross training. On your non-running days you should stay active with other forms of exercise like cycling, swimming, walking, etc. Weight training is important, too. Building your leg muscles can help improve speed.
• Proper footwear. We’ve covered this pretty in depth in the Apparel and Shoes post, but just to re-emphasize, it’s important to invest in quality shoes. Also, depending on the mileage you put in, they should be replaced every 4-6 months.

If you follow the guidelines above you should be able to avoid any major injuries and be able to have a long, healthy running career ahead of you  

Running 101: Technology and Gear

• Running 101: Training Programs
• Running 101: Apparel and Shoes

MP3 Players

Headphones

GPS

Hydration

Hydration Belts: These are worn around the waist/hips and usually carry anywhere from 2-4 water bottles. They also usually have a storage pocket for your keys or ID.

• MP3 players
• Headphones (Go wireless!)
• GPS
• Hydration

Running 101: Apparel and Shoes

I really wanted to make this second post in the Running 101 series about Technology and Gear, but I think it’s more important to have the right shoes first because all the tech/gear is optional.

No worries, the next post will be all about the fun gadgets.

This is going to be totally subjective based on your preferences.  The only real rule I’ve heard when it comes to running apparel is this: synthetic fabrics.

The fancier term is “technical apparel.” These fabrics are made to be “moisture wicking” meaning they pull moisture away from your body and are fast drying, while clothing made of cotton will soak up the sweat and can make you chilly and feel weighted down, plus harbor perfect conditions for chafing.

Technical apparel can also help you stay warmer with fewer layers in the colder months.

Any of the major sporting brands carry this type of apparel, i.e. Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Fila, etc., as well as generic brands at places like Target and Wal-Mart.  My favorite place for name brands is TJ Maxx.

I’ve recently found my favorite running pants ever and I got them for $17.99 at Target.  I have larger thighs, so I HATE wearing shorts in general, much less when running.  These pants are more like Bermuda shorts in that they come down right above the knee.  They’re fitted, but not TIGHT, and made of a synthetic fabric.  For me they are perfect because they’re short enough to keep cool, but long enough to make me feel comfortable and prevent chafing.

My favorite top was bought at Marshall’s and is an Adidas Dri-Fit shirt.  Here’s a picture below.  This shirt is moisture wicking and flattering to my figure.

During the winter I wear long synthetic fabric pants, a top, and a sweat shirt that can be easily removed.  For me, I find that even on the coldest days after getting warmed up I want to take off the sweatshirt and be in short sleeves, so I don’t like wearing long-sleeved shirts.

I learned within a few weeks of starting the Couch to 5K program that there was a big difference between buying running shoes at the local department store versus from your local running store. 

I started running in a pair of New Balance shoes from Kohl’s and almost immediately had sharp pains in the top of my feet.  So…I decided to suck it up and go to the running store. 

The running store is going to watch you run/walk and recommend a type of shoe (neutral, mild stability, stability, etc.).  They’ll measure your foot and bring out different brands and models and watch run/walk in each of them.  They’ll then recommend one based on how you look in them when you run and, of course, based on how comfortable you find them. I left the running store with a pair Saucony ProGrid Guide 2’s.  These are mild stability shoe because I slightly overpronate with my left foot. 

Ahhhh…what a difference!  These shoes felt like heaven on my feet!!  Not so much on my wallet, though, coming in around $95.  What I suggest is to buy your running shoes the first time at a running store because they are more likely to have a good return policy if the shoes don’t work for you.  Once you’ve ran with a pair of shoes and know you like them, then the next time you need shoes you can search out a good deal online (Amazon!).  Shoes, like cars, come out in different models each year.  My ProGrid Guide 2’s are now Guide 3’s.  If you keep your eyes peeled, you may be able to catch a good deal on the old model as it is phased out.

Well, that’s pretty much it on apparel and shoes.

Let’s review: 

• Synthetic fabrics > natural fabrics
• Go to your local running store for your first pair of running shoes so you can get fitted by an expert.

Now that you've picked your training program, and found the right shoes, you're all set for your first 5k!  But, now comes the fun stuff...technology and gear! Stay tuned!

Running 101: Training Programs

Let's be honest. All you really need in order to start running is a pair of running shoes and to get your butt out the door.

But for those of us who are a little less minimalistic, there are a myriad of training programs, gear/technology, and apparel for us to choose from. In this series, I will provide an overview of what I use and what else is available. The first post in this series will cover training programs.

Training Programs By far, the Couch to 5K (C25K) program is the most popular beginning runner program out there. Developed by the people at CoolRunning.com, this program is designed to take an inactive person and have them able to run a 5k (or 3.1 miles) in 9 weeks.

C25K eases runners in by starting with intervals of walking and jogging. Week 1 starts with 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking alternating for 20 minutes with a 5 minute warm-up and cool-down. The program ends at Week 9 with 30 minutes (or 3 miles) of straight running.

I thought about doing the C25K program numerous times, but felt it would be hard to keep track of the short intervals. Coming to my rescue was the C25K application for my Android powered smartphone (previously a G1, now a Samsung Vibrant), which is also available for the iPhone.

The application is fairly simple in that based on the week/day of the program you are at, it will notify you audibly when the interval is complete and it is time to return to walking or running. I used this application to train for the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure at the Virginia Beach oceanfront in October 2009.

I had a goal of running the entire race and I am proud to say that I did so and since have since run 4 more 5ks, an 8K, a 10K, and a sprint triathlon. Of course, C25K isn’t the ONLY beginner running program out there. So here are a few more, but I can’t vouch for them personally.

• Hal Higdon: 5K Training
• 5K Training Program: iPod Workout ($$)
• RunnersWorld.com: Beginning Runner Training Program
• RunningTimes.com: 5K Beginner

If you’re wondering why so many of these training programs are focused on running a 5K, I can tell you that’s because there’s no better motivation than running a race if you follow these steps:

1) Register early, at the beginning of your training. Partly because the race could sell out (it happens!) and partly because you’re more likely to stick with it if you’ve paid for it. An added bonus is that the fees are often discounted if you register early.

2) Tell people you’re running the race. Tweet it, blog it, send out an e-mail, post it to your Facebook status…whatever. It will keep you motivated if people know you’re doing it and check in on your training.

3) Choose a race associated with a charity and volunteer to raise money. If you’ve gone around raising money and getting pledges/sponsors for yourself in the race, you’re much more likely to keep up with training. I mean, how can you let down people who believed in you enough to donate their hard-earned money?

Now, in light of this…I am telling you now…I AM RUNNING THE WICKED 10K IN VIRGINIA BEACH ON OCTOBER 30, 2010!!!

As I mentioned previously, I ran a 10K once before, back in May, but I wasn’t well trained and I didn’t do as well as I could have. Therefore, I have taken a step back and am using the Bridge to 10K program (designed for C25K graduates who want to increase their mileage) to train for this race.

While you may not yet be ready to tackle a 10K (I wasn’t last year!) the Susan G. Komen race is just about 8 weeks away and the Peninsula Pumpkin Run is 10 weeks away. There’s plenty of time for you to get trained and complete your first 5K! Just get out there and do it!!

My First Triathlon

Good evening!  I apologize for taking so much time off from blogging!!  

To reward your patience I finally have my triathlon recap.  Yep, can you believe it's already come and gone!  Don't worry, I'm already planning for the next one.

The triathlon was up in Manassas, so my husband and I drove up the day before.  After attending a pre-race clinic and then enjoying a nice evening in Reston Town Center, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep since we had an early morning.  We woke up around 5:15am, packed up, checked out, and headed off to the race site at the Freedom Aquatic Center on George Mason University’s Prince William campus.  We arrived around 6:30AM and it was already hopping.  Josh put my bike back together (we’d taken the wheels off and put it in the trunk) while I set up my transition area.

Next, I picked up my ankle chip and got body marked.  Say hello to #180!!

There were three waves of around 100 swimmers with 5 seconds between each swimmer and 5 minutes between each wave.  I was at the end of wave two. 

Josh was my official race photographer!  He did a great job!

BUT after looking at some of the pictures I could see  that the guy getting out of the pool behind me …see that guy in the picture below me getting out.  I was able to zoom in on the picture and see his race number (196).  By looking up HIS swim time and adding the 5 sec. per person for each person in between I was able to get an approximate time of 11:20 on the swim.  Not my best time.  In fact it’s a good 1-1.5 minutes slower than my average time, but since it was a yard pool there was one extra turn, plus swimming in a pack is not easy.  I found myself slowing down so I wouldn’t get kicked or I had to wait in “line” to touch the wall before going under the lane line.  Not too bad, though. Something to improve on.

Since my swim time didn’t register, neither did my first transition time, though doing some math I’d put it around 3 minutes.  I put on my bike shorts and shirt, helmet, knee strap, socks, shoes and Camelbak before grabbing my bike and heading to the mount line. 

Crossing the bike start line

The bike was pretty uneventful.  It was a loop with four turn around points and we had to do it three times.  I did manage to pass that kid who hurt my pride in the pool, though.    Considering he was ten I’m not sure that was much of an accomplishment. 

Before the race I had used Map My Ride to check out the elevation, which didn’t look like much, but in actuality there were a few hills.  Nothing major, but since I don’t have hills at home to practice on I really had to work the gears.

Crossing the bike finish line

For the second transition I tried running my bike to the rack, but my legs weren’t cooperating so I walked.  I racked the bike, took my helmet off and headed out for the run.

Don’t I look enthusiastic!

Headed towards the finish line

I did the run at an average of 10:54 mile, which considering my fatigue, jelly legs, and 4-5 short walk breaks I pretty happy with.  For my next triathlon (and I’m sure there will be one) I probably need to do more speed and brick workouts and a few practice triathlons to prepare my body.

Overall, this was a fantastic experience and I suggest everyone try it at least once!  I don’t have any regrets about this race, I did way better than I thought I would. 

Click to enlarge

16 of 23 in my age group

208 out of 271 finishers

You better believe one of these is going on my car ASAP! 

Chesapeake Farmer's Market

It's that time of year again!  Farmer's Market season. I am lucky enough to have one just down the road from me in Chesapeake City Park: Chesapeake Farmer's Market.

Here's a pictorial of what they have to offer...

So, if after seeing all these delicious, fresh foods you now want to hit the farmer's market, here's what you need to know:

Wednesdays: June 16 – November 24, 2010 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Saturdays: June 12 – November 20, 2010 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Sundays: June 13 – November 21, 2010 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

It's best to get there early because they do sell out.  Last week, my husband and I got there a little before noon and it looked like they had closed up around 11.  Apparently, the early bird gets the tomato.

Hampton Roads Running Clubs

Good evening!  I hope you have all had a wonderful start to your weekend.  I started mine out EARLY this morning with a 5:45AM wake-up call.  You see, this morning I planned to run with a running club for the first time.  I am not the fastest runner out there so sometimes I am a little intimidated by the descriptions of the meetups that say they're going to run at a pace beyond my abilities. 

I  found this running club on Meetup.com's website.  The group is called the Hampton Roads Runners and boasts over 700 members.  Surely, with that many members I could find someone to run with at my pace! On Thursday I noticed an event posted as "2-3 mile beginner run" at a "10:30-11:30" pace.  So, despite the 7AM start time I RSVP'd.

I had a hard time finding parking and ended up in the garage at 31st street (the run was supposed to start on 43rd street at the Virginia Beach oceanfront).  Despite being late  I managed to meet up with the two other runners at 40th street where the boardwalk begins.  It was a perfect morning out and while it was warm, there was a cool breeze so it was manageable.

These ladies ran the perfect pace for me and I have to say, I REALLY enjoyed running with them.  I may not be out there every Saturday (I've got to sleep in sometime!), but the best part about today was the fact that I realized how motivating it is to run with others.  Also, the other runners encouraged me not to worry about the pace times posted on the meetups, because there's usually SOMEONE who runs your pace.  So, I will definitely be doing more group runs.

There's actually another major running club in Hampton Roads called the Tidewater Striders, which you've probably heard of.  I believe there's a lot of crossover between the members of the Meetup.com group and the Tidewater Striders, partially due to the ease of setting up group runs on Meetup.com versus the Striders site.

Here's a little info about the Striders from their website:

"Today the Tidewater Striders Track Club is one of the largest running clubs in the United States with over 1,600 members. The club presents over 50 events yearly, has an annual budget of over $60,000 and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities in its 24-year history. The club is dedicated to the promotion of physical fitness including running, walking, and multi-sport events in southeastern Virginia. The club is comprised of all ages as well as all levels of ability from beginner to Olympic Trial qualifiers. Whether you have never run a step in your life or are a seasoned competitor, our club has something for you."

In the near future I plan to join the Striders as a member because the benefits are many:

• Socials, parties and FUN!
• Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) memberships for all Striders. 
• Discounts at participating area businesses.
• FREE Summer Series races. The Summer Series is a group of three runs that promote fun and camaraderie within the running/walking community. 
• The annual dues are only $15, which will pay for itself when using your club discount at local business.  
• College scholarships to Strider youth based on academic & athletic achievement and community & Strider involvement and service. $11,500 was awarded for the 2009-10 school year.
• The Golden Runner membership (available for $90 per annum) includes the right to run the following races for free:
  • 3 Distance Series races in January and February
  • Elizabeth River Run 1k
  • Summer Series & Memorial Scholarship 5K
  • Strider Mile

  • Turkey Trot 10k

How about you? Have you ever been a part of an athletic club? Do you prefer to work out alone or with others?

First Brick Workout

Good evening, everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  I know I did.

Saturday morning I ran the Elizabeth River Run 10K in Portsmouth.  You can read my recap here and see a good picture here.  Sunday was spent at church, then at the beach with friends, and finally at the movies (I found Prince of Persia very entertaining!) with family.  Monday after stocking up on summer goods at Target (flip flops, big towel, sunscreen, floppy hat, sunglasses) the husband and I drove to Yorktown for a day at the pool with friends and it was perfect!!

Today after work I was inspired by reading other blogs (and the fact that it is National Running Day) to get my butt off the couch and stop whining about the humidity. (Besides...I've lived in Florida...this isn't humidity.)

My goal for today was a brick workout, i.e. doing one type of activity right after another in order to get your body used to it for a triathlon or duathlon.  They call it a brick workout because your legs feel like bricks when you start the second activity.

I started by biking 6.43 miles.

Click to enlarge.

Next, I dropped the bike off at home and then ran two miles around the neighborhood.

Click to enlarge.

Once home I hit the shower and then made myself a Green Monster recovery smoothie.  I ate a late lunch and it was after eight so I decided to do that instead of dinner.

SO...what did YOU do over the weekend?  How are you getting back on track if you over-indulged or under-exercised?

Triathlon Training at the Dismal Swamp Trail

When last we spoke I had decided to do a triathlon, but didn't yet have a bike.  Since then, after extensive searching on Craigslist I found a bike.  It's a 1993 Raleigh RT 300.

The cycling portion of the triathlon is probably the part I am the least comfortable with.  There's a lot to get used to and a lot of gear.  Since I bought the bike used I decided to take it to Conte's Bicycle and Fitness Equipment in Norfolk (where the bike originally came from) and have them check it out.  The staff was really nice and understanding of my lack of knowledge.  First, they checked the bike to make sure it was safe, i.e. the tires were good, the brakes worked, etc.  Then they had me ride it around the parking lot to determine where to adjust the seat and handle bars to.  They even gave me advice on how to more easily get on and off the bike! :)  They also offered, once I get used to the bike, to let me come in and use their trainer to learn how to use cycling shoes with clips.  I plan to take them up on that offer!

So, on Saturday morning I finally took my bike out for a real spin at the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail.  If you've never been out there, I highly recommend it.  It's a paved trail (formerly Rt. 17) with no road traffic allowed, so it's filled with people walking, running, seriously cycling, leisurely cycling...pretty much anything you can think of.

This bear welcomes you as you begin the trail.

For a little while you can even follow in his footsteps.

The distance for the triathlon is 11.2 miles so I planned on doing 5.25 out and back for a total of 11.5.  It didn't take more than a couple of minutes for me to wish I'd worn bike shorts.  I bought some at Conte's but ended up deciding to take them back due to fit.  I've since bought another pair and a gel seat at Sports Authority so hopefully the next ride will be more comfortable.

I don't have a time on my ride because I wasn't paying attention to the time when I got out of the car and my phone was nearly dead so I couldn't track it with GPS.  I would guess around an hour, though.  I spent a lot of time coasting due to not being comfortable and I stopped for a few minutes at the turn around point.

Here are a few pictures from my ride.

I had a wonderful time enjoying the atmosphere and scenery and am looking forward to my next ride (WITH bike shorts)!

How about you?  Where do you like to spend your leisure time?  Have you ever been out to the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail?

Triathlon Training

So...In my last post I talked about one of my plans for pushing past this weight loss plateau being triathlon training.

I am planning on doing a mini triathlon in Manassas on July 11th.

14.06 is the total number of miles, i.e. .24 swim (400 meter), 11.2 bike, and 2.6 run. 

I've already started by using the 25 meter lap pool at my gym.  The only location that has a pool is a bit far from me, but I think I can handle that two or three times per week.  Since I've already been running, I'm not that worried about 2.6 miles, so I think the most important part of that training will be the brick workouts, i.e. biking and then running right after just as you would do in the race.  They call them brick workouts because your legs feel like bricks for the first mile or so of the run.

While the swimming will be the most challening part physically, the biggest hurdle I've faced so far is the biking.  And that would be because I don't have a bike. 

I know, I know!  It may not be the smartest thing in the world to have committed to do a triathlon when not owning a bike.  I just figured it would work itself out.  There's a possibility I could borrow a bike from someone, but if not, I might be going the Wal-mart route.  My husband called me this afternoon to tell me he saw a carbon fiber road bike at Wal-mart for $499.  While that is still a bit pricey for me, I saw online that they had some road bikes (all mens, but maybe I could make that work) for under $200 which is doable.

If you would like to track my training program, here its is: Google Race Training Calendar.  Keep in mind that I will probably moving work outs around as needed, but I will make sure to update the calendar when I do so.

Now, since I'm currently blogging from beautiful Pensacola Beach, Florida where I was visiting my mom for Mother's Day, I'm going to sign off and enjoy the view!!