Greetings Spring Runners; Week #2
Winter running has arrived with a bang THIS year! No time for gradually getting used to dressing properly, breathing in the cold, adequate footing and run routes – just WHAM! I suspect some of you decided this was a sign to take it easy and focus on getting the holiday shopping done, and getting in a little more sleep – others of you I know took it as a personal challenge – ‘Mom Nature will NOT prevent me from my appointed workout”. Whichever approach you took (are taking) I highly recommend M-O-D-E-R-A-T-I-O-N. This is a time, as I said last week, for exercise , not training (unless you have an early race date). Take time for family, socializing, and relaxing, but don’t become a couch potato. It should be motivation enough to think about how much harder it will be to get back in shape in the spring.
Conversely, some of you have more time off during the holidays and are planning on spending every spare minute in the gym with the idea of getting a jump on next racing season. It is too easy for you (certainly not ME) Type A’s to overdo it and enter next racing season already tired and more prone to early injuries.
The answer, of course, it to have a P-L-A-N. However modest or aggressive your goals are for next year, you can benefit from starting working toward them now.
The Winter Training Program is open online at: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1814952
It has two options, one to cover through the marathon season and the other to cover the entire year – for those who want to have a planned recovery period after their marathon and/or want to continue maintenance training over the Winter – kind of like – now J
I have attached the Winter Training Schedule. Let me know if you have any questions about tailoring it to your specific goal race.
If you know someone that is looking for some help with that New Year’s Resolution to get in shape, tell them about our NEW YEAR’S BEGINNING RUNNER PROGRAM or have them give me a call/email. Details and Registration are at: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1817463
Wednesday Track Session - START 6:00pm The AHS track was not clear of snow so plan on doing you speed session on the treadmill. It may be easier to use time instead of distance as the measure. Do 2 x 400 (1 min recovery) + 5 x 100 (20 sec recovery) repeats with 1 mile recovery.
Sunday Trail Run –Start at 9:00 am for one loop of the AHS trail. If we can determine the trail is clear enough to run.
I get a lot of questions about using Supplements, especially during the holidays. We are always looking for a shortcut or a quick fix for some real or imagined weakness. I think there is a place for supplements. Ideally, we would get all our needs from a proper diet, but how many of us can manage that? The key is to know as precisely as possible WHICH nutritional area(s) you can use some help. That can take some time and a very objective thought process. The help of a certified Nutritionist and/or Kiniesiologist can help. Bob Sebohar, coach and nutritionist for the Olympic Team, suggests the following check list to help make your decision about a supplement. The following is a 12-step checklist to help you decide if a product is truly worth buying. If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you should be skeptical of such supplements and investigate their value before investing any money.
- Does the product promise quick improvement in health or physical performance?
- Does it contain some secret ingredient or formula?
- Is it advertised mainly by use of anecdotes, case histories or testimonials?
- Are currently popular personalities or star athletes featured in its advertisements?
- Does it take a simple truth about a nutrient and exaggerate that truth in terms of health or physical performance?
- Does it question the integrity of the scientific or medical establishment?
- Is it advertised in a health or sports magazine whose publishers also sell nutritional aids?
- Does the person who recommends it also sell the product?
- Does it use the results of a single study or dated and poorly controlled research to support its claims?
- Is it expensive, especially when compared to the cost of equivalent nutrients that may be obtained from ordinary foods?
- Is it a recent discovery not available from any other source?
- And finally, are the claims too good to be true or does it promise the impossible?