Written by Neely Gracey
Updated by Cally Macumber
The main way to meet your goals is to follow your training plan, but it never hurts to put a little thought into what could help support your active lifestyle! Recovery, Strength Training, Consistency, Hydration, Mid Run/Race Fueling, and Pre-Run /Post-Run Nutrition are all important details that will help you feel stronger and healthier. There will be a series of blog posts on each of these topics, stay tuned!
Pre-Run and Post-Run Nutrition
When it comes to good eating habits, the number one thing to remember is moderation. Unless you have an allergy, or know certain foods don’t sit well in your stomach, then nothing is off limits. It’s all about the timing, and learning a good routine that works well for you. There are two key times when nutrition is critical during training; pre-run, and post-run. Let’s explore these in more detail.
Pre-run fueling is critical to dial in, especially if you have a sensitive stomach. If you’re a morning runner, you may not have much time to grab a snack before heading out to get in your training. Try something light, easy to digest, and carb focused for quick fuel. A banana, piece of toast, granola bar, sports chews, electrolyte mix, etc. All followed by water to wash it down and kick start your hydration for the day. Getting in some calories and fluids before a morning run is really important because you haven’t eaten for many hours, and you may have become dehydrated throughout the night. Fueling up beforehand will help ensure the success of your training efforts.
If you’re an afternoon/evening runner, than you have a day of meals to plan before your run. The morning isn’t too specific, but the meal/snack 3 hours prior to your run is very important. You will want to stick to something bland and not too heavy. A giant burrito may not leave you feeling great on your upcoming workout. Instead, try a sandwich, soup and side salad, sushi, etc. Good choices are things that are low in fats, easy to digest, and include no ingredients that irritate your stomach. Having a meal 3 hours before a run allows the body time to process and use the food as fuel. This will also help prevent cramps from eating too close to exercise.
Post-run fueling is all about starting the recovery process. In a run, your muscles are put under stress, and afterwards, they need protein to rebuild. Having carbs with your protein helps expedite this process, and according to the Olympic Training Performance Center, can also help boost your immune system. If you struggle to eat solids after running, you’re not alone! Try yogurt, smoothies, popsicles, or protein enriched milk. Whatever you consume post run, focus on carbs, proteins, antioxidants, essential fats, and fluids. The suggestion is to get in 100-200 calories within an hour of completing your run. You then have enough fuel to kick start recovery, protein synthesis, and rehydration before you get in your next full meal. Finding a routine that works for you will allow your body to function at it’s best and be ready to nail those workouts as you chase your goals.
Written by Neely Gracey
Updated by Cally Macumber
Did you know that water does more than just keep you hydrated? Obviously, that is an important role, but water is essential in your body for three other important tasks.
1-Water helps transport nutrients to the working muscles during training
2-Water eliminates waste products (like lactic acid) during high intensity training
3-Water works to keep your core temperature cooler by dissipating heat through sweating
Hydration does not have to be from water alone. Here are some other ideas of delicious, refreshing, and hydrating summer drinks.
The ramifications of not having enough fluid in your system can start with just 2% fluid loss. Headache, lack of concentration, dizziness, fatigue, inability to recover, and overall decreased ability to perform. Nothing that helps your training or allows you to work hard towards your goals. To avoid any of these happening to you this summer, here are a few things to include in your daily routine.
1-Drink 8-12 ounces of water when you first wake up to kick start hydration
2-Drink more than just water. Adding in electrolyte beverages will help your cells saturate with fluid and not dilute your body’s natural salt chemistry
3-Drink consistently throughout the day. Keep a water bottle with you at all times
Hold up your water bottle in a toast to quality summer training and good hydration!
Whether you're lounging by the pool, enjoying a cool night on the porch, or taking a break between training sessions, a book is a great way to find some extra motivation! Check out our curated reading list:
"Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall
This book explores the secrets of the Tarahumara Indians, known for their long-distance running abilities. McDougall dives into the science and spirit of running.
"Run Fast. Eat Slow." by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky
Olympic marathoner Shalane Flanagan and chef Elyse Kopecky share their favorite recipes designed to fuel runners. This book combines the joy of cooking with practical advice on how to nourish your body for optimal performance.
"Running with the Buffaloes" by Chris Lear
This book follows the University of Colorado's cross-country team through a season of triumphs and challenges. Lear captures the dedication and intense training that drive competitive running.
"Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory" by Deena Kastor and Michelle Hamilton
Olympic medalist Deena Kastor shares her journey of mental transformation and how positive thinking played an important role in her running success. Her story is a motivational guide to the power of the mind in sports and life.
"Choosing to Run: A Memoir" by Des Linden and Bonnie D. Ford
Choosing to Run is an inspirational memoir from Boston Marathon winner and Olympian Des Linden, sharing her personal story and what motivates her to keep showing up.
"Finding Ultra" by Rich Roll
Rich Roll’s memoir talks about his transformation from an unhealthy middle-aged man to an elite ultra-endurance athlete. His journey of physical and mental resilience serves as a testament to the potential for personal change and achievement.
“Barn Boots to Running Shoes” by Nancy Kelley
Nancy Kelley, a longtime Runcoach customer, takes you through her experiences of training horses and then ultimately becoming a runner in this pervasive story about her journey.
"Marathon Woman: Running the Race to Revolutionize Women's Sports" by Kathrine Switzer
Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon, shares her story of breaking barriers and advocating for women in sports, a must-read for anyone looking for inspiration.
Major milestone:
17 minute PR at Big Sur Marathon
What is the secret to your success?
Running two workouts a week helped me get faster and more comfortable with being slightly uncomfortable.
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it?
I have a psycho neurological disorder that is as yet undiagnosed. Under stress, I get episodes. Running long distances brings them on but I love to run long distances. It is an art I’m learning to time preventative medication taking while I run. This marathon I was able to stave off episodes until mile 25 when I ducked into a portapotty for 9 minutes to compose myself and wait for the medicine to kick in. My training was enough to have set a 26 minute PR but until I get a diagnosis I also have episodes to contend with when running distance.
What is the most rewarding part of training?
The mile time trial was rewarding for me. I ran faster than I knew I could. Hitting paces during speed interval, tempo, and threshold runs easily as the training progressed showed me my progress as at first I could not hit the paces prescribed. Long runs always made me feel proud of myself.
What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?
Runcoach is an excellent program. Having a coach is very helpful. As things come up and you need to adapt the plan, your coach can do that. The unconditional positivity Cally shined on me throughout training really boosted my spirits and confidence. Follow your plan as best as you can but know you don’t have to be perfect. Other aspects of life demand our time and I couldn’t accomplish all my runs. The program still worked to get me to the finish much faster than before.
Anything else you would like to share?
Cally is kind, knowledgeable, encouraging, and a runner I look up to. She’s a wonderful coach. She took the time to adapt my plan many times.
What feedback would you offer on the Runcoach experience?
It’s a great program with great coaches. I would use it again to reach a PR.
Impact-Site-Verification: 0beb1552-5627-4b27-8d3c-4ebecf19d4ea
The adjustment to heat training is not easy, and not always fun either. We want to share some ways to help summer training not be entirely miserable, and, you may find you even gain more fitness along the way thanks to the added stress heat puts on your body!
1-RUN EARLY: Set yourself up for SUCCESS by running first thing in the morning. It is way easier to wake up, run early, and get it done, than to have life get in the way and you're left trying to force a run in the heat or after a long day.
2-HYDRATE: We recommend waking up at least 30 minutes before you head out for a run to consume 12-24oz of electrolytes. If you have a long run or a hard workout, get creative with your options during the run... know where you can stop every 2-4miles to get a drink, leave a bottle and run a 2-4mile loop or out and backs, carry a bottle, or have a friend/significant other bike with you to provide fluids. More tips on hydration here.
3-ADJUST: Recognize that heat is an additional stress on your body. You should not expect to hit the same splits as you could on a cool day. Slow down, focus on effort vs pace. Add in an extra minute of two of recovery in between intervals or pause tempos to dump water on your head and to get a drink. Cut the long runs back a mile or two or find locations more suitable for hot weather that can provide more shade, and listen to your body if you start to feel dizzy or over heated... be smart! You can also do your quality sessions on the treadmill if you want to stick to paces and build confidence.
4-RECOVER: To help boost recovery after a hot run, take a cool shower, get in the pool, or put your feet in a creek to bring the core temperature down. You will find this strategy will prevent you from feeling so zapped the rest of the day. More recovery tips here to help you reset after a hard day of training.
5-REHYDRATE: After a hot workout, you will be in the hole in terms of hydration. Spend the first 30 minutes post run being sure to get in a lot of fluids. I recommend an electrolyte mix because something with flavor is more appealing and it will help you get caught up on your hydration needs. Rehydrating after a workout in the heat is critical to ward off cramps, injury, and allows the body to be ready to run again tomorrow!
6-REFUEL: It can be tough to eat after a workout in the heat. The belly often feels icky, but replenishing is very important to reap the benefit of the workout you just put your body through! Try greek yogurt, fruit, a smoothie (Summer Smoothie recipe!), kombucha, coconut water, or protein shake. These liquid calories are easier on the stomach and your body will be able to start the recovery process once you get some fuel in the tank. Interested in nutrition for runners? More info here.
We hope you can use these tips to help you crush your training this summer, please reach out if you have any follow up questions!
Edited by Cally Macumber
Written By Dena Evans
Updated By Coach Hiruni
Many of us set running goals that culminate in a large race event with thousands of people. Even if you are not completing your goal race at the ING New York City Marathon (more than 45,000 starters) or the Zazzle Bay to Breakers (more than 50,000 starters in 2011), your race day experience will likely not resemble your typical “roll out of bed and head out the door” long run. How do you manage to find your normal, confident, well-trained self in the midst of a completely abnormal situation? Try these tricks for race day success.
Weeks or at least days before your race, take advantage of all the available information on the race website. If your race requires transportation to the start or transportation from the finish, examine your options and discuss the best choices with any friends or family members meeting you. Closely examine the course map, particularly if the race offers an elevation chart. Knowing exactly when you can expect hills, and how often hydration, gel, porta potties, and other key items are offered can help ease your stress by eliminating some of the unknowns of a big race.
If you have a web confirmation of your entry, double check you have the correct corral or wave start time, and exactly what tasks you will need to accomplish at the expo (shoe chip confirmation, etc). One of the key reasons to do this well before you race is to be able to contact the race organization in a relaxed way if you have any questions or discover any discrepancies. Usually, the organization is scrambling on race weekend and is off site at the expo so get on it early.
One key way in which many large races will differ from your typical workout is the length of time you will be required to stand at the start and the amount of walking you may be required to do to get to the starting area. Again, read through the race materials well in advance and have a sense of what this will entail. If it worries you, remember that everyone who is racing will also go through the same process, and that all the racers in prior years made it the same way.
To help condition yourself for this and to remind yourself that you will be ok, practice by walking a half mile or a mile before starting a few of your long runs, and then walking that same distance home when you are done. Plan to wear a last layer of clothing that you would be ok with discarding (pick from your Goodwill/ Salvation Army pile at home). This will leave you with a bit more warmth in the wait at the start, and less of a dilemma than if you had worn your favorite and most expensive outerwear to the line. A $3 plastic parka or a trash bag with head and arm holes punched through can also provide a cheap alternative to hold in a bit of warmth. $1 drug store knit gloves (or multiple layers of the same) can also be handy.
Even the most experienced racers have the butterflies on race day. Sometimes this means extra trips to the restroom, particularly if you are well-hydrated. The amount of facilities available at a particular race can vary widely, and it is likely you will need to wait in line, sometimes for quite a while. In addition to being very deliberate about using the facilities at the last comfortable and private location you will have before you head out, consider going right when you arrive at the staging area. If there is a line, you will have allowed yourself time afterwards to grab a drink or sit and relax a bit, and you won’t be as stressed as if you have left it to the last minute and are now faced with a full bladder, a huge line, and 10 minutes until you need to be at the start. A travel pack of baby wipes or Kleenex (accompanied by a small bottle of Purell) in your gear bag can also be invaluable in case improvisational measures are required, or if race management hasn’t managed to keep pace with the usage of toilet paper in the facilities available.
Finally, all of the machinations required to get tens of thousands of people in place to start a huge race require several hours of organizing the people involved. You may need to leave hours before your race and rise at a very early hour. It is worthwhile taking at least a time or two to get up earlier than normal before your run in the weeks leading up to the race to prepare yourself for what that will feel like on the big day. It is difficult to suddenly go to sleep at 8pm on the night before, so don’t expect yourself to be able to get a perfect and luxurious night of sleep from an artificially early hour. Instead, just do your best to have an evenly paced evening so your food is digested, your stress levels are low, and your body can wind down as quickly as it naturally can.
Many experienced athletes have different strategies for managing the above challenges. 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials Fourth Place finisher and our May 2011 Pro’s Perspective interviewee, Amy Hastings, reported that she plans by making Post-It note lists of all the things she will need to do on race morning between waking and beginning the race. Others may have great ideas – if a particular issue continues to trouble you, don’t hesitate to reach out to your fellow runners or to us (write us on the Forum or tweet us at @focusnfly). We’re athletes ourselves and have been there. Now that you have done the hard work of training, we’d love to help you enjoy and excel on race day!
What are you reading?
I’m reading The Way Forward by Yung Pueblo and Subculture Vulture by Moshe Kasher.
What are you listening to?
Mt. Joy, Hozier, and Quinn XCII.
What are your non-running goals for 2024?
Deepening the new relationships in my life.
Ok, but what about running?
I surprised myself by jumping in a 4 miler last second and running 4:55 pace. I think next step will be planning a fall marathon and working backwards from there!
A Remarkable Comeback: Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Personal Best
Major milestone:
I began running again about a year and a half ago after a 39 year hiatus. It was after I read about a terrible event in Memphis TN in early September of 2022 that I decided to Finish Liza’s Run, in memory of Eliza Fletcher, a mom and a teacher who was abducted on her morning run. I would learn later that Liza was my college classmate’s cousin.
What is the secret to your success?
I try my best to be consistent, even with a sometimes heavy work travel schedule. I’ve learned to make the best of hotel treadmills which are usually fairly new and very under utilized. I like that it is easy to put in pace times for speed work and most have televisions: I did a 10 mile run while watching the Olympic marathon trials. Of course I prefer running outside, but in an unfamiliar location, where drivers may not be familiar with runners, I hesitate to navigate traffic. Safety first!
What is the biggest obstacle to reaching your goals and how do you get over it?
Mental: A humbling experience: I had to accept that I wasn’t going to run a sub 35 minute 10K again. Now, I am grateful to be able to run at 60 and I take pride in what I can still do. Physical: Not knowing better in the beginning. I ran at the same pace all the time. I made every run into a threshold workout and so I was always sore, nursing niggles and not really improving.
What is the most rewarding part of training?
Getting faster and feeling stronger every month!
What advice would you give to other members of the Runcoach community?
Follow the program as best you can. Run the long slow runs slow - it’s about building legs. Make easy days easy so you can have the energy for speed work. It’s ok to go for a swim workout if you’re really sore from working hard.
Anything else you would like to share?
This program is amazing and Coach Cally always responds quickly to any questions I have. If I hadn’t signed up, I’d still be doing threshold runs every time out, or have gotten hurt. I managed to take nearly 2:12 minutes off my run time in the Cherry Blossom 10 mile last weekend by following the assignments as best I could. Negative splits for the last two miles.
What feedback would you offer on the Runcoach experience?
It’s been a terrific experience! I signed up for Cherry Blossom training and decided to stay for the year. The assignments re- adjust according to your race schedule which is so helpful. Love the inherent flexibility.
As someone who has competed in many races throughout the years and learned valuable lessons along the way, I'm excited to share my top 5 do's and 5 don'ts for training effectively and avoiding common mistakes:
Do's:
Do Set Realistic Goals:
Whether it's completing your first race or setting a new personal record, make sure your goals align with your current level of commitment and fitness.
Do Follow a Structured Training Plan:
A structured training plan helps you to adequately prepare for race day. Talk with your coach and build a plan that suits your fitness level, schedule, and goals.
Do Listen to Your Body:
Pay attention to signs of fatigue or pain, and don't ignore it. It's better to take a day off or scale back than to risk an injury that could sideline you for weeks.
Do Practice Your Fueling Strategies:
Practice your race day nutrition and hydration strategies during long training runs to find out what works best for you. Experiment with different foods, gels, and drinks.
Do Focus on Recovery:
Make sure to prioritize sleep and activities such as foam rolling and stretching. Give your body the time it needs to repair after hard workouts. Enjoy your Easy & Off days!
Don'ts:
Don't Overdo It:
One of the most common mistakes runners make - avoid the temptation to increase mileage or intensity too quickly. Build gradually to reduce the risk of injury and burnout.
Don't Skip Cross-Training:
Incorporate activities such as cycling, swimming, or yoga to improve overall fitness, prevent injuries, and enhance recovery.
Don't Neglect Strength Training:
Introduce exercises that target key running muscles, such as the glutes, hamstrings, quads, and core, into your weekly routine.
Don't Ignore Rest Days:
Use rest days to allow your body time to repair. Don’t squeeze in extra runs on rest days, and prioritize relaxing instead.
Don't Compare Yourself to Others:
Every runner's journey is unique, and it's important to focus on your own plan rather than comparing yourself to others. Celebrate your own accomplishments and progress!
