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Racing Tips

1/30/2014

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T-3 days! I thought I'd Repost this article that I wrote for Examiner.com: Racing Tips.
Here are some racing tips to keep in mind when approaching a big race. Take these for what they are, suggestions.
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Photo Credits: Miami Marathon
Pace yourself. The excitement of being surrounded by other anxious runners corralled at the start line, like horses on a race track, gets to everyone. The key is to stay calm. Get out ahead of the craziness but not too far where you expend your energy for no reason.

Be efficient. Remember to keep your form; head straight, jaw relaxed, shoulders down, arms swinging back and forth by your hips without crossing in front of your torso, good even stride, and quiet landing. [Easier said than done.]

Replenish during the race. Depending on the distance of the race, you might want to consider eating a snack. However, race day is not the day to start experimenting. Eat things that you have already tested during your training and have found that work well for you.


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Look forward. Not just for your form, look forward toward your target or goal. Give yourself little goals to reach during the race. This will not only keep you motivated, but will help the race go by faster. Before you know it, you'll be sprinting toward the finish.

Pass with authority. Once you decide you want to pass someone, make the pass and don't look back or second guess yourself. The slower you pass someone, the higher the chances are that he are she will try to stay with you. Every person you pass COUNTS.


PicturePicture from internet
Finish strong. The reason you paced yourself at the beginning was so that you could progressively get stronger and faster throughout the race. Toward the finish, you want to "empty the gas tank", as most coaches like to say. There is no more need to store energy. As you become a stronger racer, you will be able to pick up the pace further and further away from the finish.

See you at the starting line!
To read more, check out other articles and publications HERE.
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RACE WEEK TIPS:

1/28/2014

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A couple days out from RACE DAY and race anxiety is starting to kick in. Everyone is posting pictures of "last run", "last workout", "last [insert activity]"....and the T-(whatever day) posts aren't helping either. Whether we are ready or not, come Sunday! It's Race time.

Feeling a little more in-control this week, may help with the race anxiety. We all know that we need to get rest, hydrate, and eat right. What we may not realize is that we are CREATURES OF HABIT! We need to continue in our same routines. Any abrupt change in our routine may have detrimental effects on our performance.

Here are some common mistakes runners make:

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TAPER TOO MUCH:
Taper: (verb) to diminish or reduce/ to reduce in thickness toward one end. 
In our sport, it means to reduce the amount of running in the couple days leading to a big race. I listed this one first because it's the one that everyone has been talking about. "How much are you running this week?". This week shouldn't be too different than past weeks! One of the biggest mistakes runners make before a big race is TAPERING TOO MUCH. Yes, you can ease-off the intensity and mileage  A LITTLE, but you don't want to shut down. You need to keep your finely tuned machine well OILED and ready to roll when the gun goes off on Sunday.  If you taper too much, your body may start going on Vacation Mode.

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GET EXPO-CRAZY: 
Friday and Saturday, The Miami Beach Convention Center will become Disney for runners! It will house hundreds of the latest running wear options, thousands of nutrition products, and have millions of tempting options to derail you from what YOU ARE USED TO! Don't go EXPOCRAZY. Just because Mo Farah runs in a certain Nike racing flat, doesn't mean that you need to as well.  There will also be lots of informative talks at the Expo. They are there to provide information, but keep in mind, they are opinions or points of view of certain runners. NOT EVERY TIP needs to be IMPLEMENTED on race day!

PictureImage from RunnersConnect
CARBO-Loading disaster:
 All of us know that we need to load up on carbs before our half and full marathons because they are a great source of energy, but HOW and WHEN to LOAD could mean the difference between "hitting the wall" or "charging towards the port-a-potty".   In order to keep our body fully stocked for race day, we need to start carbo-loading 2-3 days before. By Thursday, our diet should consist of 85-95% carbs. CAUTION:This doesn't mean that your diet should consist of 85-95% pasta. There are other great sources of carbs found in sports drinks, snacks (cereals, oatmeal, granola), fruits (though they also have high fiber) and starchy vegetables.  Also, keep in mind that eating after our easy taper runs is the best time to replenish our glycogen stores.

Most importantly, the biggest mistake runners make is going for a late pasta dinner with friends and fellow runners the NIGHT BEFORE. You want to EAT early on Saturday so that you have enough time to digest your food. If you wake up hungry on Sunday morning, YOU DID WELL! You definitely don't want to wake up still stuffed from Saturday night's dinner. Race morning breakfast should include 100-150 grams of carbs. Tortillas, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, and juice are all easy-to-digest options. It's recommended that you eat this meal around 2-3 hours before the race start. It sounds like a long time but if you eat AS SOON as you get up, you'll be within the correct window.

PictureDisclaimer: Not my toes.
DON'T CUT THEIR NAILS:
Last but definitely not least. In the craziness of Race Week, planning meals, filling water bottles, icing legs, and massaging calves, it may slip our mind to give ourselves a PEDICURE. You may laugh, but you will thank me for the reminder on mile 11 when you look down at your foot and DON'T SEE BLOOD! Fact: RUNNERS loose nails.  Having your toe nails nicely trimmed will minimize your chances of walking away from Bay Front Park with purple toe that will eventually turn black, and slowly slide off in the following 2 months making it difficult for you to wear sandals or heels if you remotely care about what people think of your feet. I did say- GIVE YOURSELF a pedicure. Call me paranoid, but I strongly encourage you to do it yourself because if you go to a salon, you may happen to get the nail lady on a bad day when she is out to save the world one cuticle at a time. You definitely don't want that! Safest bet, do it yourself and book a real "pamper-your-feet" Pedicure with your friends for anytime after Sunday Morning.

Long story, short...DON'T CHANGE your routine too much. Drink what you are used to, eat the supplements you have been eating while running, and wear the clothing/shoes you have been training with. RACE DAY is not the day to experiment! In order to perform at your best, make sure your ENERGY STORES are stocked up with the right foods to HELP, not HINDER, your race day performance. And lastly, double check that your toe nails are trimmed and ready for the BIG DANCE!

Hope these tips help....5 days to Go!
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Less than 2 weeks...Are you ready to Race?

1/21/2014

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Dr. Flores stretching me out after we both finished last nights speed workout....Got to love runner friends that are great at what they do!
Saturday I put in my last 13 mile run with my hamstrings feeling progressively tighter as the run went by.

After breakfast (#ieatmorethanirun), walking was really difficult. I got nervous! All that training and here I was a couple days from the race and I could barely walk......AHHHH!

But then yesterday at a Workout Monday I ran into a friend, who is also a chiropractor. I did what I'm sure most people do when they are around him...I started to mention my hamstring woes. Right then and there, he said, "Let's take a look".

After a couple minutes of stretching, aligning, and adjusting, I was already feeling 10times better. That's when I realized, maybe I haven't done everything to prepare myself for the big race. So I booked myself a couple appointments this week.
Have you done everything to prepare yourself for the big race?
For the past couple months we have all been putting in the long run/ medium run miles and speed workouts to get our bodies ready for the Miami Half and Full Marathons! We have been watching what we eat, and been hydrating as we have been told (and reminded). And here we are, less than 2 weeks away from the BIG DANCE with our last LONG RUN under your belt, and fine tuning, keeping ourselves strong, and healthy so come race day we are ready to GO!

THIS WEEK we can give ourselves that little extra edge by: 

Getting Stretched, aligned, and massaged!
You may be tight from all the training. Getting stretched out will allow your stride to be at your individual longest length, allowing you the ability to be as efficient (covering more distance) come race day.

Algining your body will increase your range of motion and release some of those areas that may be holding you back, a little, now.

Getting a good FLUSH OUT massage will help your body get rid of all that lactic acid that has built up, increase your circulation, help you release toxins, and get those dead muscles cells out of the way!

Your body may feel a little sore after this "workout" but it will thank you later! That's why it's important that you get this done NOW. I'm no professional, but from runners that I've talked to, coaches that have trained me and others, and trainers, I've heard that the window for doing these kinds of body treatments closes about 6-7 days before the race. That means that you have from today until Sunday to finish preparing your body.

We should be doing these 3 things on a consistent bases, but MOST definitely as we get closer to a big race.  Check out the deal below that a running friend and doc is offering all of us for our upcoming race!


 Miami Marathon Package:
 6 treatments that include electric muscle stimulation, moist heat, massage (one body region), stretch, and adjustment for $288


Use them as you will Pre/Post-Marathon!

Call the office at (305) 240-0929 and mention that you are racing the Miami Half/Full Marathon to make your appointment. 

 Treatment for runners by a runner!

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Flores Chiropractor Group
4150 NW 7th street, Miami Florida 33126  305/ 240-0929
If you already have a chiropractor who you see on a regular bases, make sure to schedule an appointment with them this week! And if nothing else....STRETCH a  lot this week! Good luck Miami Half and Full Marathoners! See you at the starting line in 11 days and 18 hours (from right now).
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Necessary alignments...

12/19/2013

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Ever finished a run with a hand and arm cramp? 
Yea that just happened!! 6 miles felt like 12, not because I was pushing an almost 40-pound wiggling toddler but because my stroller wasn't aligned! It kept pulling left. I'm exhausted, sore, and downright wornout!

Can u imagine the toll it must take on our bodies to be dis-aligned? If we have our leg pulling one way while our hip pulling the other direction?  Or worse, if we are pushing our bodies in one direction and our other life choices are pulling our body in another direction?!?! (I know it sucks...I've been there!)

I need to take a stroller to get re-aligned ASAP! There are times when we need to make some LIFE TUNE UPS too; Tweak a couple things here and there so that WE TOO can start running in a straight line.

Since September I have dropped my time 1 min and 19 seconds in the 5k, PRed in the 10k, by 2 minutes, and 2 weekends ago I swam/bike/ran my way into the OVERALL slots of  a Triathlon placing 3rd with the fastest 5k time in the run (for male and female competitors). Keep reading--THERE IS A POINT, and it's not for you to hate me. The reason I am telling you all this is because in the last couple months I've changed a couple things, made a couple adjustments that I wanted to share with you. You can read and become informed, read and disregard, or read and perhaps try some yourself and see what results you get.

Change 1- MY SOCIAL LIFE- I've tamed the social life down a notch (just one, don't worry- I am still a good time). Burning the candle at both ends isn't sustainable. And though possible to go out on a Friday with one group of friends and still mange to get by on a long run on Saturday morning with another group of friends...It's much more enjoyable to pick one of the two and do it well. I've been opting for the "enjoy the Saturday morning long-run" and notice that it's a lot EASIER with a full night's rest.
 
Change 2- MY EATING HABITS- Using Herbalife shakes for breakfast and cutting down on bread (which I love), I've managed to shed 17 pounds in the last 3 months. Notice that it wasn't like the ads in Facebook that say, 20 lbs in 20 days or the miracle pill for 3 sizes in 1 week... blah blah blah. It has been 3 months. meaning about 5.5 lbs a month. Just to give you some food for thought. Try running around with a gallon of milk everyday you go for a run/workout. A gallon of milk weighs a little over 8 lbs! CRAZY HUH! It's WEIGHT that you have to carry around with you...FOR A LOT OF MILES. Make your runs easier for yourself by making the dietary adjustments that you can! Your body and your running will love you for it.
 
Change 3- My HARD WORKOUTS- I have become more disciplined about workouts. At least once a week I've been doing harder/longer workouts at race goal time pace--not to mention trying to keep up with the boys that show up. It's really made a HUGE DIFFERENCE. Though recovery days, easy days, and steady long runs are a very necessary part of the equation, HARD RUNS where you are training your body to run at the pace that you want it to run at are ALSO a necessary evil!  I remember my High school cross country coach would always say: "LONG SLOW RUNS equals LONG SLOW RUNNERS". Give yourself a chance to impress yourself; try incorporating these faster workouts into your routine! (Check below for some info on workouts around the city.)

"Sometimes we are putting in the work, just not in the right way. All we end up doing then in wearing ourselves out! " 
These alignments are just the beginning. There is still a lot of work to be done and adjustments to be made! Just like we take our bikes in to get tuned up every couple months or before races, our lives and our running need the same TLC. Give yourself a gift this holiday season and take the time to make some alignments- personal, professional, emotional, and physical! 
-Happy Holidays
For a great physical alignment: Check out 
Dr. Flores 
Chiropractor, runner, and friend
4150 Nw 7th St Ste 200
Miami, FL 33126
Neighborhood: West Flagler
(305) 240-0929
floreschirogroup.com

Track Workout Options

Mondays
FDC/ Solerunners Marathon and Half Marathon Track Workouts at Tropical Park at 6:45pm
Call Store for more details:
(305) 595-7867
IRun Speed Workouts at IRun Store at 6:45pm
Tuesdays
Wolfpack Tempo Run at Tri-Beach at  6am
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Picture by Bryan Huberty
Thursdays
Wolfpack Track Workouts at Miami Country Day School at 6am
IRun Marathon Training Speed Workouts at AWP at 7pm
Call Store for more details: (305) 751-9440
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DON'Ts to Run By

11/6/2013

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Don’t overcompensate:
We all know that when we overcompensate, we inevitable get hurt. To prevent overcompensating, we need to work on our weaknesses instead of ignoring them. Over time, our weak points will
lead to worse and worse injuries if left unaddressed.
Definition of overcompensate (vti)
 Dictionary
 1. Try too hard to overcome: to try too hard to make up for a disadvantage or
shortcoming and fall into a fault of another kind    2. Reward too much: to pay somebody too much in recompense or compensation for
something done.
We overcompensate for our weaknesses by dedicating more time or energy to the things that we are better at because facing the weak aspects of ourselves may be too overwhelming or too difficult. Ignoring or pushing aside these aspects of ourselves that are sub-par will only lead to deeper and more permanent injuries that will be harder to recover from in the future. 

“Don’t look down...I’ve picked up all the pennies.”
That’s what my High School coach would always say when we were running. It has always been recommended by coaches throughout my running career that it is extremely important to look forward towards the ground a couple feet ahead. Benefits include better posture, easier decision making, and keeps you focused --with you eye on the prize.
Failed attempts at projects and investments, along with the painful love strike-outs, among other mishaps cause us to look down, when in those times is when we should maintain our focus fixed on the goals and horizon ahead to lead us out of those dark moments. The obstacles, difficulties and strains of life’s wear and tear on us make giving up a tempting option. At times we get bogged down with our very present current situation, but looking up and slightly forward could be just the perspective shift that we were yearning. 

Don’t overdo it: 
Hard part about this is making the distinction between overdoing it and pushing your limits. That’s where having  a plan to guide you is always beneficial. Signs of overdoing it may be constant fatigue that drains all your energy stores. You may experience signs from feeling easily irritable or  unable to stay focused/centered, to more drastic situations like injuries or even illness. As runners we will constantly struggle with the questions: Am I doing too much? or Am I doing enough? The answer lies in listening to our hears and bodies. Unfortunately, when testing for TOO MUCH vs ENOUGH, it's a grade that we can only give ourselves when we are able to strip away the mess that surrounds our lives and get to our core. 
Whether its food, training, loving, spending, nagging,..OVERDOing  things is never a good game plan. As the saying goes, “Everything in moderation”, is the best plan of action, though most times easier said than done. Especially as runners, we are known to have “go-overboard” kind of personalities. No one is perfect, and maybe its a weakness that you too, like myself, need to work on.

Don't Give Up:

NO MATTER WHAT! I would always hear from my coach: If someone is going to beat  you, make sure that they die trying! If you have a rough run you know you need to train harder. If you struggle in a triathlon, you know you need to increase your training.  If you do bad on a test you know that you need to study more. If you get a low evaluation at work, you need to prepare more. If
you get in a fight, you need to make-up. BUT you never just quit...never just give up, surrender, or lose hope for a good outcome.
Definition of give up (v)
 Dictionary 
  1. surrender: to surrender or admit defeat
  2. hand over somebody or something: to hand over or part with somebody or
    something
  3. lose hope for somebody or something: to stop hoping for a good outcome with
    regard to somebody or something
Society has gotten so used to seeing it’s members do so (just give up), that it’s had to embrace the culture. We are surrounded by people that make excuses for not living out their dreams, people that have settled to do what they should instead of what they were meant to BE, and millions who are too comfortable with the status quo to challenge it.
Every run we take we are working on breaking through these DON’Ts. We are practicing habits that will not only make us stronger runners but stronger people. We are working on our weaknesses- whether it’s endurance, speed, leg cadence, our kick, or our listen skills, ability to forgive, willingness to allow ourselves to be loved, or having the courage to trust. Every time we look up we are reminded that it may be too late to change where we are stepping at the current second but we are just in time to make better decisions as to  what ground our next footplant will strike. Steering clear of these DON'Ts may lead to more fulfilling running experiences and who knows, may also lead to happier, more peace-filled lives.
 
                                                                                                                                                                        -Happy Growing =)
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Keep in Rhythm

11/5/2013

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Who remembers that game: Keep in Rhythm, jolly jolly rhythm...Ready OH, Lets Go….Starting with ZERROOOOO…??If you don’t, you had no childhood! I’m kidding, but for real, how did you not ever play that game during recess with a group of friends?

Anyway. The point of the game was to keep in rhythm as you said different numbers and each person was assigned to represent a different number.  At the beginning it was easy because the numbers were in order. But as the game advanced, the numbers started getting OUT of order and when people would mess up, they would get kicked out/eliminated from the game. Besides the ORDER changing, the game
would start picking up it’s tempo as well which added to the intensity.

Game Rules/Guides:

 -    Find runner with a stride that isn’t too drastically different that your own at a pace slightly faster than yours.
 -   Tuck in directly behind or diagonally beside the person you are trying to keep in rhythm with
-    Get into rhythm
 -   Focus on staying in that rhythm...AND NOTHING ELSE

Workout:

IRUN's Monday Workout
1 Mile warm-up
Sub 7 minute pace runners
(8 miles)
Sub 7 to 8 minute pace runners (6 miles)
9 to 12 minute per mile runners
(5 miles)
1 Mile cool-down
The last couple weeks I’ve been playing my own version of running Keep in Rhythm. Whether it’s been on a long run or a workout, I’ve been focusing on the stride for stride approach.

Last night’s workout was a true test of the game’s power. The game, up until this point, had been holding a steady tempo (pace/rhythm), but last night’s run took the tempo up a notch, and I’m happy to say, the other players weren’t able to shake me off, or eliminate me.  The workout was a 1 mile warmup, then 6 (1 mile loops) continuous with a segment of each lap at a much stronger pace. I locked into different people throughout the workout to keep me in the game. My only goal was to find what strides were most comfortable to keep in rhythm with.
 "Running is a mental sport...we're all insane."
-Seen on a runner's T-shirt
At the beginning of the workout,  I started questioning if I was going too hard or too fast for what I should be doing. I remembered its all about perspective. There used to be a time a couple years ago where runs and workouts like these were part of the everyday- literally. When I started thinking that this needed to feel normal, that this pace should feel okay, I  was able to shift to my “keep-in-rhythm-game” mode; my breathing calmed, my mind settled, and my legs started doing what they knew they could.

 After the 6th lap, I wanted to keep going and I felt like I could but I knew there was enough in the gas tank, but I finished what I had set out to do. It took me the mile cool-down to realize that I had just matched my 10k PR, in a controlled, level-headed, fun (game-like) manner.

If you try the keep-in-rhythm Game, let me know how it works out for you! But remember, one of the keys to the game is to keep in rhythm with the right person and trusting that your body is capable of more that we give it credit for.
If you want something in your life you’ve never had, you’ll have to do something, you’ve never done.    ~JD Houston

- Happy 'keeping-in-rhythm'

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Workout Recap

10/22/2013

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Last night, at 6:55pm, after a long day at work, with blisters adorning my achilles and consequently sending currents of pain up my leg, I taped up my feet, put my compression socks on, and strapped on a smile that would later turn into a game face.
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IRun Monday Night Workout:

I mile warm-up
1400 meters at a hard/solid pace
 12 X 300s
 2 mile tempo pace run
Suggested formula: Leg frequency + stride length = OPTIMAL LEG STRIDE 
                                                                                                                                    --Cobi Morales
As we started the mile warm-up, my legs felt heavy and I wasn't expecting too much out of my body for the workout, besides going through the motions,  which I knew would be good for me- quicker turnover, faster cadence-style running.

When we got into the bread and butter--the 300s, I thought: "Shoot, this may be a little harder than I was expecting." But then I looked around and saw all the other people who were doing the workout and realized that it really is ALL MENTAL. Our perspective of the situation at hand. I shifted to focusing on what was my original intent...working on my stride length, which is what I had come to do. I felt like I was chopping my steps, since my stride is usually much longer. It felt awkward, almost robotic....but I was going faster. The repeats just seemed to pass me by. By the time I asked how many sets we had left, we were 2 away from being done and I felt stronger than ever.

When the 300s were over, the workout wasn't. We still had a 2 mile tempo run left. I saw two guys take off and without letting my doubts creep in, I followed. Jokingly I said under my breath to a couple other girls who were taking off on the tempo: Anything they can do, we can do---or we'll die trying. I guess a part of you has to believe that in order to attempt to try and run with them. They do have more muscle strength, they do have more speed....but us girls...we can be fierce when we want to be.

Turns out  I didn't die. I felt great. I even started to have thoughts about how fast I could race if I actually continued to train like this. In races, I guess we hold back because we feel like we are going to DIE...but workouts are a little different. That fear of dyeing is somewhat suppressed by the fact that the outcome of the workout doesn't matter as much since it's "just a practice". 


 I thought of Aristotle's' quote:  "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." And therein lies the problem--maintaining that level of intensity, pushing yourself in workouts till you feel like throwing up,  finding the inspiration to stick with it, not let up,  and not being scared of being EXHAUSTED---those are the habits that are hard to develop! 

What do you repeatedly do?

Last night's workout left a sweet taste in my mouth...that left me wanting to ask a question that I haven't asked in a while...
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- Happy training
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    Author

    Teacher, Author, Mother, and Runner. As I try to balance it all, I sometimes ask myself why I run. The Ironic things is that the runs themselves hold all the answers.

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