Distance runners need strong calves and feet in order to reach the finish line of a
marathon or half marathon. This drill will help activate all the tiny muscles in the feet
and challenge your calves. 
With every step you take on a run, you want your foot to strike off the ground with as
much power as possible. This drill will prepare your body to do that. 
As high as you can get, as quick as you can get, as high as you can get, as quick as
you can get....keep repeating that to yourself as you do this drill. That increased
turnover and increased knee drive will soon carry over to your running form.
Written by Dena Evans
Updated by Ashley Benson
Beginners and experienced runners need to navigate successfully around other runners, walkers, obstacles, and shared spaces alike. Although many small communities of runners may have their own language and habits for dealing with various situations, it is instructive to keep in mind a basic knowledge of common running etiquette. Like many things in life, the golden rule applies. Sometimes with outstanding running etiquette, we can even influence another runner to employ more people-friendly tactics their next time out. Here are a few tips on how to manage a few recurring situations.
Passing someone coming the opposite direction
On a bike/ pedestrian path, sidewalk, trail, or other two-way, directional running surface, pass others as cars would. If you are in the United States, that means bearing right, but perhaps that might mean bearing left if in the UK. If you are running with a group, take care not to take up the whole path and slide into single file as necessary to let the oncoming runner have a straight path. If necessary, make eye contact and even take a half step to one side to indicate your planned passing lane when you think confusion might be occurring.
Passing someone from behind
If moving in the same direction as the person you are trying to pass, again pass as cars would, with the faster party (you, in this case), moving by toward the center of two directional surface path or sidewalk or if narrow, on the left. First, alert them to your presence by saying “On your left” loud enough for them to hear you and not so close as to startle them. Give it a little gas if you can and pass quickly so as not to dwell in the “two abreast” stage of the pass.
If the person in front of you is wearing headphones and can’t hear you, give a wide berth as you pass to avoid startling them.
If in a race, pay special attention before and after fluid stations, heading in and out of sharp and curbed corners, and at a turn around so as not to cause a pileup or a chain reaction. You and the other runners are entitled to hold your own space, but it is your responsibility to maintain that space with the people immediately in front of you, and to not encroach that space by dangerously slipping by someone right at the curb before or after a turn. If looking for a particular line for an advantageous tangent to a distant corner, to stay out of the wind, or for another reason, you must allow a step and a half of space between yourself and the person you are passing before moving in front of them into their lane / line. If in doubt, give the other runner an indication by announcing your intention with an “on your left”, “head’s up” or a point of the finger where you are headed so they can see what you have planned.
If passing a horse on a trail, make sure you alert the rider well in advance of your arrival, and plan to walk around the backside of the horse with a wide berth. Yes, that might be annoying and a disruption to your run, but a worse disruption is a startled horse and back kick into your stomach. Don’t take any chances.
Running with a group
If running on a surface with any regular oncoming running traffic at all, two runners across is probably the maximum appropriate amount of width. If running with three or more with plenty of room, be prepared to maintain the responsibility of yielding to an oncoming runner if you suddenly come upon one rather than force them to the shoulder or the bushes. Even if there is no oncoming traffic, running with three across can prove a hazard as cyclists, cars, and other runners might be coming from behind and have to swing wide into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting your group.
Minding your manners on a busy track
Unless the track is empty or no one present is running for time or fast enough to encounter each other, do not jog in lane 1 of the track. Many tracks encourage this through gates or signs to jog in outside lanes. Even if not, a community track is a treasure for all who use it and a very expensive item to resurface. If you want to continue accessing your home track, it is best for all to allow lane 1 to wear out as slowly as possible. Therefore, if you don’t need to use it for timing a workout, don’t.
Again, unless the place is empty or traffic is limited enough to definitely avoid bumping into each other, do not run the opposite direction (clockwise). If you do for some reason, it is your responsibility to yield to those running counterclockwise. Likewise, do not ever run clockwise in lane 1, unless you really, really, have the place to yourself.
If passing from behind on a track, always do so to the outside of the person you are passing, particularly if both of you are too out of breath to let them know verbally that you are coming by. If someone (toddler, random person talking on their cell phone, slouchy teenager, or similar) is standing or otherwise blocking your lane while not running hard themselves, give them a sharp “TRACK!” before you come upon them to give them time to move out of the way. Likewise, if you accidentally are daydreaming or forget where you are and hear “TRACK!” while standing in a particular lane, it is your responsibility to get out of the way immediately as you would hope another would do for you.
Fluid stations
Do not cut off other runners in a crazy diagonal direction to get fluid. Fluid stations are often areas with slippery footing, and race-ending injuries can occur even when best intentions are met with poor geometry. Prior to the station, merge as you can so all runners can get a clean shot at the drinks without banging into each other. If you need to stop and consume whatever it is you picked up, do so AFTER you clear the table and out of the main line of travel.
Drafting
If it is windy, or the road is particularly cambered, runners will often naturally form a single file or thin line as the race stretches out. However, if it is just you and one other poor runner, by yourselves into the wind for five miles straight, it is bad form to just silently just have them take the brunt of the weather without offering to take turns if evenly matched. If you are hanging on to the pace for dear life and there is no way you could help, at least acknowledging their help or asking if it is ok for you to run along with them for a bit is far better than just wordlessly breathing down their throat the entire way.
Assorted other Do’s and Don’ts
Most importantly, keep it light and try not to take yourself so seriously when situations requiring etiquette occur. We all put a great deal of effort and time into our running, but most of us do so for the fun, relaxation, and enjoyment of the sport. Acting in a way that allows your fellow runners the chance to do so as well is the least each of us can do for each other.
In the midst of the second “polar vortex” this winter, running inside might become the rule rather than the exception. Typical winter weather, however, when not quite so harsh, does allow for some outside running, particularly if following a few common sense guidelines about how to stay healthy and safe.
Plan ahead
Running in the winter demands good planning for the actual run, but also some foresight for the aftermath. If you are coming straight in the house, then jumping in a warm shower and sighing “ahhhh” is no problem. But, if you must drive home, or have another stop on the way, it is essential to plan for dry and warm clothes along with your usual fluids and snack. You also need a place where you can change. A car that is shielded enough to change inside, or a bathroom/ locker room that is appropriate and safe for the same purpose is worth planning ahead for when deciding where to park and run.
Layer it up
While actually running, a snug under layer with moisture wicking capabilities, topped by a thicker or wind-blocking layer can often do the trick, with either a third layer between or a vest on top to keep the core cozy as needed. A loose layer underneath allows the wind to whistle through (burr!), and allows the sweat you’ve produced to stay wet against your skin. Sometimes that may be tolerable during the run, but then chill you to the bone a few minutes after stopping.
Your body will heat up during the run, so a down jacket and two scarves is probably not necessary. It is ok to start the run without feeling cozy as you will be feeling fine once you move around for several minutes. On the other hand, if you are as warm as you could ever want when you start, the increased body heat will very possibly leave you feeling hot, sweaty, and stifled halfway through your run, at which point you will likely be running around with a thick layer tied around your waist or just sweating like crazy at a time when you need to be hydrated.
Ease into it
For most middle-aged athletes, warming up slowly is an essential part of a training routine that avoids injury. In the winter cold, this becomes even more important. While we do not recommend a bunch of static stretching for cold muscles before you head out, we do recommend taking the first few minutes of your training run or warm up loop to prepare your body for the desired mid-run / workout pace. You may cringe when looking at your GPS device, but the most important thing is to avoid the needless aches and pains that take you out of action completely.
Watch your step
We always recommend traveling on safe, well-lit routes, but in the winter, this is crucial. For those that must run in the dark, it is important to be even more vigilant about the perils of black ice and other pitfalls of the winter road. Running in the daylight is strongly recommended, and running with a partner or group should be much more of a priority. Particularly if your run is on snow, a device like Yaktrax can be a simple and cost effective tool to assist with traction. Be careful not to cut it close on roads with minimal shoulder or crossings where you have to hustle to beat the light or other traffic passing on the road. The risks are great, and the conditions are even less under your control. Always err on the safe side.
Don’t skimp on the details
In the winter, the aforementioned warm shower or a quick dive into the car to drive home can be tantalizing. Because of the tougher conditions, rolling, stretching post-run, hydrating, and refueling after training take on even greater importance, even as they are often skipped due to freezing fingers, howling winds, or other discomfort. Budgeting even 5-10 minutes for the care and feeding of your body after a run can help increase the chances your training cycle remains intact throughout the tough winter months, and can help build good habits that will serve you well even when the weather is 70 degrees and sunny.
You may have heard it, but we will say it again: The long run is the most important run of your week.
Personally, the long run is my favorite run of the week too. It doesn’t always feel good, but I am always proud of myself once it’s completed because I know fitness was gained and mental strength too. But why is the long run so important? Why does the training plan have up and down weeks with total mileage/minutes? Is it really possible to finish a marathon if my long run never covers the entire distance in training? Here are our answers.
First, the importance of the long run stems from the cells. Runs exceeding 60 minutes help create more capillaries within the system, the more capillaries in your body, the more efficient oxygen can be transported and delivered to your muscles. Thus, increasing your endurance level and ability to run faster and further. As you feel stronger, and you accomplish mileage you never thought possible, you gain confidence. You start to learn that you can push harder and longer than ever before, and that is huge for the mental game come race day.
Next, the up and down weeks of mileage may look random, but we have a plan. We train you to run 2 weeks hard, 1 week easy. This cycle of training prepares the body as you work to build up fatigue, push through fatigue, and then recover. The adaptations that build fitness come when we soak up the training during the down week before increasing the mileage higher than before. For our marathon runners, these two challenging long run weeks back to back can help simulate the second half of the marathon with the accumulation of fatigue.
Last, the long run is more about time on feet than actual miles covered. Exceeding more than 3.5 hours of running during training has been known to have diminishing returns. Meaning that running longer than 210 minutes can negatively affect your body’s ability to have quality in training and could leave you sick, overly fatigued, or injured. Depending on your pace, any run 16 miles and over will allow you to successfully finish the marathon distance. It’s important to trust the process and know that with a taper, you will feel strong and ready to conquer 26.2 miles at the peak of your training program.
If you’re like me, you can’t wait for the next long run to get out the door and increase your body’s efficiency now that you know the goal of your most important run of the week.
Tips for the Taper
In running, the final phase of training is where you get sharp, peak, and taper. The last 1-3 weeks prior to a big race is where the emphasis is on all the fitness coming together at the right time. This part of training helps your body to mentally focus, gives you time to hydrate, fuel, and rest in preparation for your big goal. Here are some tips to maximize the final phase of training to get the most out of yourself on race day!
Training
Cut back some of the miles, but still keep some turnover workouts in the training that final week. This will keep your muscle tension in a good place so you don’t feel “flat” or heavy legged on race day.
Psychological
Take some time during the taper weeks to get your mind in the right place for race day. Look back at all the training you have done to prepare for your goal, and gain confidence in yourself and your fitness.
Hydration
Start an emphasis on hydration during your taper. This will help your body perform on race day!
Fueling
It is important to not over eat during the taper phase. However, be certain to get in good nutrients the few days leading into the race. You want to have all your energy stores filled and ready to carry you to a strong finish.
Relax
Focus on sleep, propping the feet up, and encouraging your muscles to repair and freshen up prior to race day.
When you put all these tips together, it can bring you more confidence knowing you are trained, mentally prepared, hydrated, fueled, and rested… the key components to taking your goals from a dream to reality.
Q&A with the Runcoach CEO and 2:12 marathoner, Coach Tom McGlynn,
who shares some thoughts on including a half marathon race within your marathon training.
1.) Do you advise runners to race a half marathon prior to running a full marathon?
If the athlete is preparing for a marathon, then I like to see them run a half marathon 4-7 weeks out. The reason we like it that far prior to the goal race is that we always recommend enough time to recovery after the half marathon. The recovery period is intended to spring board the athlete into the final marathon stage of training.
2.) Does practicing race day routine in a half marathon help your marathon?
The actual practice of waking up, eating, drinking, going to the bathroom and arriving at the start line in plenty of time is most helpful. Some of the intra-race hydration is important as well. The half marathon should be thought of as a dress rehearsal for the marathon.
3.) Does a half marathon time accurately estimate your fitness for the marathon?
The science suggests that if you double your half marathon time and add about 12 minutes, that would be your current fitness for the marathon. Meaning that a 2 hour half marathon converts to a 4:12 marathon. This is an extremely rough estimate, and doesn’t consider key variables such as weather, course variation (between half and full), the athlete’s health on either race day, the need for nutrition and hydration in a full marathon that isn't as important in a half marathon, the runner's form/efficiency, etc
Do you have any more questions to ask our coaches? Email them today!
