Run4PRs

Latest Episodes:

81. Racing Your Best 5k: Turkey Trot Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

If you are in the USA you know that it is that time of year again! People are gearing up for Thanksgiving day turkey trots. This tradition has been growing, and we are so excited that more people are participating in these events. A lot of our listeners may be coming back into running more again after a big fall marathon or half marathon, so this is often a strange time of year for racing. We wanted to chat about some tips to help with your turkey day 5k-10k. How much of this race is aerobic vs anaerobic? Is it still important to keep your easy days easy? Are you still running high mileage? How do elites train for 5ks? What sort of workouts should you do the week of the race? Strides and short fartleks Should you do strides? Yes! Before the race, I definitely want 4+ quality strides. I’m a fan of a few longer 200m pickups about 10-15 minutes or so before the race and a few shorter ones 50 meters right before your race What sort of pacing plan should you have? Negative split or even split How do you know what kind of shape you are in? Recent time trials or workouts. Compare consistency in your recent training block to previous seasons when you ran a 5k. Will the weather play a role? Weather always plays a role to some degree. Hopefully being that Turkey trots are in November that is typically a nice time of year in most areas where we don’t experience one extreme or the other. Should you consider using this as more of a fun run? Absolutely, It can be tough to run well if it’s colder like here in the midwest. Also It’s a great family event to do and a great way to start the Holiday. How long of a warm up or cool down? 1-3 Miles How many days should you taper before? 2-3 or perhaps a few more. Pacing for a 5k: what is the speed limit the first mile? Your Goal 5k pace (should be 5-10 seconds slower than) If you are super fit it may be okay to run 5-10 seconds faster than 5k goal pace Pacing for a 10k: what is the speed limit for the first 1-2 miles? I would say even a bit slower, so 10-20 seconds slower than your goal 10k pace. You have more time to work your way down to race pace :) How should you feel during the halfway point? Strong - Like you can negative split How should we dress? Be prepared for the weather including overdressing at the start if it’s cold!

80. Cold Weather Running: How to Stay Motivated When Temps Drop Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

If you live anywhere near us, it is starting to get really cold really fast. I am not talking 40-50 degrees. I am talking single digits and negative wind chills here in Minnesota. We get it pretty bad for 4 months out of the year most days don’t get above 20 degrees in the morning if we are lucky. Most days can be single digits or below zero when we get up to run in the early morning. It can be tough to find the motivation to stay running in the cold. We are going to chat about what we do to stay motivated to run outside during these cold months! What is the coldest temp you have ever ran in? What is your cut off temp for running outside? At what temp does it just make sense to do your workout inside? How are you able to breathe in the cold? At what temp does it become hard to breathe and execute workouts? How do you dress in 30 degrees? How much does the wind play a role? How can you run in the snow? Do you have to buy expensive gear? What does your college team do when it is cold outside? What are other options if you stay inside? Do you have to run outside in the cold to be a real runner?

79. Setting Goals for Winter & 2021 Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

Last week we chatted about the importance of the off season. We want to make sure we take time off to recover between major training blocks. However, a lot of athletes can get trapped in the all or nothing approach of training. I can’t train? Okay I will run zero miles per week. Or I don’t want to take time off, I am going to continue to train hard! We want to make sure we find a happy medium and set some goals for this winter Winter can be a tough time for training: why? What are some things that can you help stay on track? What do you not like about it? Do you ever feel like there isn’t enough time or motivation during the offseason? What are some goals you can set to help you stay on track? When should you start thinking about 2021 races and finding a path? What do the top athletes do during the winter months that set them up for success? Should Strength training be something you start to add in? Should we set goals based on weekly mileage or consistency? How do we reward ourselves for staying on track if there is no goal race? How do you stay motivated if you are stuck inside?

78. The Importance of Off-Season Training Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

The off-season is coming. We spent all year building up for big races this fall. After your goal races it can be a time of recovery for most athletes. We talked a few weeks ago of the post-marathon blues and why it is important to take some time off after a race even if you ‘feel good’, but we are going to continue this conversation chatting more about what an off season is and how to do it What is an off season? How long should it last? Do you still need to work with a coach? Is having a plan a better way to stay accountable rather than assume you will run when you feel like it? What is the biggest off season training mistake you see? How many miles per week should you run? Should you lift? Should you cross train? How long should your long runs be? How many rest days should you have? Does everyone need an off season? Does the offseason have to be right after your goal race?

77. Should You Do A “Back Up Race” If The First One Doesn’t Go As Planned Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

77. Doing a back-up marathon if the first one doesn’t go as planned We have all been there. Train hard, in great shape then something uncontrollable happens on race day. Maybe it’s terrible weather. Maybe our body just felt off. Maybe we got a sinus infection the week of the race. We are chatting today about what to do if your goal race doesn’t go as planned. Have you ever had a race that didn’t go well? What did you do after to utilize your fitness? How do other people react when you fail to reach your goal? Does anyone really remember or care? What is the risk of doing back to back marathons? Can it work? What are signs you should maybe not try to do the back up race? Should you only do back up races after the race and not plan for a just in case back up race before?

76. Post Racing Blues & Recovery Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

76. Marathon recovery & blues We have been chatting a lot about race day planning and taper, but we have not yet chatted about the aftermath that may come after you finish the marathon. Many of you have spent the last 3-6 months really building up into great marathon shape. You have spent hours every week doing long runs and workouts. You have made sacrifices, had fun and seen so much improvement. The build up for these races can be exhausting but also an incredible feeling. There is a huge build up for a race that usually lasts 3-5 hours in duration. It is over before we know it. It can often be anti-climatic. That was it. Now it is over. We much address some of the feelings we might experience after a marathon and remember recovery is important! Have you ever finished a marathon and NOT wanted to take time off? Do you think some people fall into two categories 1- pumped to take time off and 2- struggles to really take time off Either super excited to continue to improve because I feel like I didn’t really reach my potential OR I am scared to lose fitness and don’t think I really pushed myself to the limits Always needed to grow and build towards something Pushing other things aside for 6 months→ cleaning the garage, organizing your computer files, yard work, baking, meal prep, friend meet up for coffee, meet up for drinks, oil change, hair done What do you think is the hardest part for people after a marathon mentally? Even if you have had a race where you reach your goal and crush it, are you still 100% satisfied? How do you feel after a race that goes so-so? What about a race that goes terribly wrong? Have you ever dived back into training too fast? Why do you think it is hard for people to take time off? How much time do you think is enough time to take off?

75. Traveling To Races Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

Traveling to your goal races Fall is quickly approaching! That might mean some runners will be traveling across the country to their goal races. With Covid-19 a lot of races have been cancelled, but there are some states with races still going on! We are going to be speaking more in general terms with regards to travel. These are tips you can use in 2020 or even if you are listening in 4 years from now headed to the Chicago Marathon. Whether you are traveling 50 miles or 5,000 miles we have some tips for you to use to make sure you have your best race ever even on the road! Jason and I have traveled to several marathons across the country including Chicago, LA, Las Vegas, and Boston and ran BQ times on the road. What is the best race you have ever traveled to? What is the hardest part about traveling to races? Do you prefer races at home or away? Do you think people should travel this year? Nutrition Should you bring snacks? How should you eat on the road? How important is this? How to stay hydrated but also not pee every 5 min on a plane or car ride? How do you not try anything new when you have to eat out the night before? Should you get reservations to dinner the night before? Should you pack food in your carry on for the race day breakfast and fuel? Clothing and gear How do you pack for the race? Watch charger, cell phone charger, phone carrier, headphones! All your running gear! Should you put your running stuff on the carryon? How many race day outfits should you pack? Throw away clothes? Logistics How should you get to the race expo? When should you go to the race expo? When should you do any sight seeing? How early should you get to the race start? Should you take their transportation or get dropped off? Should you have a plan after you finish?

74. Calming Pre-race & Taper Nerves Sep 21, 2020

Show notes

74. Calming the taper nerves As fall races approach, we see more and more athletes tapering for their goal races. You know how taper is. You spend months building up mileage, busy & exhausted from training then suddenly there are cuts in mileage and more time and energy to worry about all the things. We start to second guess ourselves! Did I do enough? Is this training cycle good enough to get me to my goal time? We start to worry and get anxious. Our normal outlet for our worries may be running, so it is ironic that we are unable to get the fix we need. In this podcast we will be chatting about typical concerns athletes have going into a race and our mindset approach to fix them. Sometimes when we bring our fears to light, they aren’t so scary anymore. What if I go out too fast? What if I don’t hit my goal time? What will people think if I DNF or walk or don’t BQ? What if something flares up and I am unable to finish? What if the weather is so bad that it rains the whole time and I become hypothermic? What if I get sick the day before? What if I get my period? What if I just have an off day? What if I don’t feel accomplished after? What if my support system isn’t proud of me? How can I ask others to support me during this taper time? What would help calm my nerves?

73. Pacing Plan: How To Run Your Best Race Time Sep 13, 2020

Show notes

It is so important to go into a race mentally ready to tackle the big event ahead. Part of being mentally prepared is having a pacing plan and knowing exactly what you should be doing to feel good during the race. Today we will be chatting about ways to assess your fitness to develop goals then how to establish a pacing plan for a half marathon and full marathon race. How can you assess your fitness level? How many times you have ran the race What is your history with the races What are your tendencies as an athlete What do you feel confident with → over confident vs under confident Aggressive vs less aggressive factors Range of goals Time isn’t the only factor What is the best distance workout or race to look at when determining marathon race? Half marathon shape? Should you look at past performances? Should you have A,B,C goals depending on weather & how you are feeling? What is a good range between goals? 5, 10, & 20 min? Is it okay to throw out your race plan and run faster than A race? Does it matter how many times you have raced this distance? IE setting more aggressive goals if you have done it a lot What if your goal is just to finish? Should you still have a pacing plan? What if I always blow up on race day? Should I try to negative split? Why do negative splits work? What is your recommendation to someone who says negative splits dont work for them? Start even slower! How many seconds per mile slower than goal race pace should you start? What if you follow the plan but you find the pace is feeling too hard or you slow down? Should you follow pacers? Should you use a pacing band? Should you memorize your pacing plan or is it better to go off effort?

72. Developing Race Day Goals: How to Assess Your Fitness Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

Race day is approaching for athletes! Many people are looking back over their cycles or thinking ahead to what their goals will be for races this fall. How do you know what kind of shape you are in and when should you narrow down your goal for race day? When does an athlete generally get a sense of what sort of shape they are in? What are some of the key things you look at as a coach to see what type of shape an athlete is in? Mileage Consistency History/Experience Key workouts over time Long runs & feedback from athlete Some people like to have more aggressive goals and other people don’t like to put time goals on themselves: know what type of runner you are! How soon before they race are you really able to give an athlete a race plan with paces? How much will the taper & cooler temps add to their performance? Will race day weather impact your game plan? Should you get a pace band this far out? Do you recommend mile by mile pacing or more effort based? Are their ways to do this without getting to antsy?

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected