Quick Tips:

Here is a quick tip for dealing with illness. I was asked about what to do about illness and training and a good general rule to follow is if the illness is above the neck you can train through it; anything below the neck take it easy.

Quick Tips

Calculating Your Pace:

When you are trying for a specific time whether it is during a workout or a race here is a helpful tool from Cool Running.  Their Pace Calculator allows you to calculate your Time, Distance or Pace.  Check it out.

Quick Tips

Running in the Heat:

I myself enjoy running in the heat, I don't quite know exactly why, but I enjoy it.  I'd rather it be 90 degrees out than 32 degrees.  I think it is mostly because I can handle the heat fairly well, or at least more than some.  I seem to be able to quite hydrated well in hot or cold conditions, but this often leads to slight over hydration under "ideal" conditions.  

Well, enough about me, here is the quick tip for running in the summer heat, obviously you need to stay hydrated but you also need to replenish your electrolytes.  More or less if you are out there working up a good sweat you need sodium along with water to stay hydrated.  

You can do this by drinking sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade, but if you look at the ingredients on them they are mostly Water, Fructose and sodium.  i.e. Water, sugar and salt.

Water is even better is coconut water which actually is the best source for rehydrating your body, though it is a bit more that Gatorade.  

I actually like to drink either coconut water or make a really watered down fruit smoothie and add about a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.  You are getting the same water, sugar and sodium as you get in sports drinks but it is a little more of a healthier alternative.  

Here is another good article from Runner's World on running in the summer heat.  Heat-Tested

Quick Tips

Fighting soreness is a big problem for runners and all athletes.  Here are some tips to fight soreness the next day.

1. Do a good cool down after your workout.

2. Make sure to stretch after your cool down.

3. Ice helps after intense workouts, 20min icing 20min off no more than an hour total.

4. Massage-if you can afford a sports massage great, otherwise do it yourself or use a foam roller.  It should be a fairly deep tissue massage, so it will hurt a little but it helps blood flow and recovery.

Quick Tips

Quick Tip:

Two nights before the race is the most important night to get some rest.  Most people are nervous or anxious the night before a big race and can't sleep well, so make sure that two nights before you race you get a good nights sleep.

For me that's tomorrow, the Fargo marathon is Saturday.

Quick Tips

I know that I have not really shared a whole lot of advice on this blog and I have actually have learned a lot in the past year or so about running, nutrition, ect.  I am going to try and post a "Quick Tip" at least a few time a week with helpful information that I have learned.

Quick Tip:

Workout routine- Your workout routine should consist of 

1) Warm-up-Light jogging for example just enough to break a sweat.

2)Stretching- good full body stretch.

3)Workout- The hard stuff

4)Cool down- Again light jogging to lower your heart rate gradually.

5)Stretching- Again a good full-body stretch, this stretch is more important that the stretching before your workout and will help you recover from the workout and reduce soreness.

Well there you have it hopefully I'll be better and leaving more advice on this blog in the future.