This Week's Running Schedule...

Okay great job last week! Saturday's long run was very successfully done!

Here's our running schedule for the week for those that completed a Half Marathon this past fall...

Monday: Monday is a cross training day. If you're signed up for Adventure Boot Camp, make sure you're in camp on 2 of the cross training days (M-W-F). In order for us to succeed at the Pig, we need to train. If the weather is bad, we still run. If you have important business and cannot make the group runs or boot camp, it's important to find another time to get your workout in. Why? Because the accumulation of our workouts over a period of the next 18 weeks will make you a better runner and get you prepared for the Flying pig.

Tuesday: On Tuesday we'll do a recovery run of 4 miles at a comfortable or easy pace, the same as last week. This workout shouldn't take very long and it's critically important in the process of oxygenating your cells and muscles in a manner that will help you recover from last week's training. The most important thing, though, go easy on Tuesday.

Wednesday: Cross training again. If you're not in boot camp, do some strength training, focusing on all of your muscles. But make sure you're working your legs to give you the support you need to long distance running.

Thursday: Another "easy" 5 miles.

Friday: Cross training again. Keep your muscles strong and your body healthy for all the accumulated mileage.

Saturday: Today is long-run day, and we're adding one mile to last week's long run for 15 miles. Next week we'll taper back to 9 miles to allow our body some recovery before going a bit longer the following 2 weeks. One mistake you want to avoid is running these long runs too fast. How did you do Saturday with your pace? Although long, it shouldn't have felt overwhelming.

Just remember, we never want to do our long runs faster than about 90 seconds per mile slower than our estimated marathon pace (Use this calculator to determine marathon pace: http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm). Running too fast on the long days creates too much stress, coupled with your other training, making it difficult for the body to recover.

Sunday: A well earned day of rest.

As a reminder, the group will be meeting at Crossroads East Entrance on Tuesday and Thursday this week (5:30am), and here at our studio on Saturday at 6:30am.

During the holidays attendance has been low ... please let me know if your plans running with the group have changed so we have a general idea of who will be meeting each week (and we're not waiting on someone may be running on their own). Thank you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For those training for the full Pig just joining the group, here's your schedule:

Monday: Strength training day.

Tuesday: On Tuesday we'll do a run of 3 miles at a comfortable or easy pace.

Wednesday: Cross training again.

Thursday: Another "easy" 4 miles.

Friday: Cross training again. Keep your muscles strong and your body healthy for all the accumulated mileage.

Saturday: Today is long-run day, up to 6 miles.

Sunday: A well earned day of rest.

See you on Saturday!!

Your Friend in Fitness,
 
Brian Calkins

This Week's Running Schedule...

We're less than 2 weeks away from the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon, and so we begin to taper down a bit to allow your body and energy systems to be a full speed on November 7th.

Click here to read about pre-race nutrition!

For those running the Indy Half, click here to check out the course with a really cool video of the streets we'll be running!! You can also click here to download the map of the course.

Personally, I am VERY excited that we're less than 2 weeks away!

Here's this week's training for everyone:

Monday – Boot Camp or XT
Tuesday - Run 4 miles
Wednesday - Boot Camp or XT
Thursday – 6 Mile Easy
Friday - Boot Camp or XT
Saturday – 8 miles Easy (meeting at the studio at 7am)

Have a GREAT training week. Leah is out of town after Wednesday, so I'll see everyone on Thursday and Saturday!!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com

This Week's Running Schedule...

Whoa, this week's running update is a few days late!

My apologies, on Friday I wasn't feeling well.

So, this week we're going to modify the training schedule again to begin tapering down for the Columbus Half.

And for those training for the Indy Half on November 7th, you'll have the option of either plan for this week.

Okay, you should now feel confident in the completion of the Columbus event in 2 weeks since you just completed the Half Marathon distance on Saturday!

And, before we get into the running schedule for the week, here's some important information on pre-race nutrition for next week....

Pre-race nutrition:

The good news is our muscles are capable of storing approximately 1800 calories in the form of glycogen. And given that the average runner burns approximately 100-140 calories per mile, most of us will have sufficient energy storage if properly fueled for the 3 days leading up to the half marathon. It’s generally mile 20 when running a full marathon where people hit the wall in terms of glucose/glycogen depletion.

Here are a few important nutrition steps you can take for Columbus…

1. Preparing for the event - For three days prior to the half, the goals is to maximize glycogen storage in muscle, which means we need to eat a few more complex carbohydrates than we normally do. Remember, all carbs are not created equal. Some supply energy very quickly while others provide a slow, steady stream of energy. Carbohydrates are classified by numbers between 1 and 100, called the glycemic index (GI). A simple carbohydrate is high on the GI and dumps into your blood stream very quickly. Complex whole grain carbs are generally lower on the GI and filter into your system more slowly. Foods that are low on the GI list tend to keep your blood glucose stable and give you a steady supply of energy, allowing you to maintain your longer runs for longer periods of time. High GI foods cause a roller coaster effect. After eating a high GI food your blood glucose quickly elevates, causing your pancreas to release insulin which pulls the carbs out of your bloodstream, resulting in a blood glucose crash. For that reason we need to consume low GI whole grain carbs all the time, but approximately 10% more for the 3 days leading up to our event.

2. Morning of the event - The morning of the half, eat a meal that consists of whole grains, protein and fat, ideally 2-3 hours before the start of the race (in a perfect world). This will top off your glycogen levels, giving you the necessary energy to run at your optimal pace.

Important note: Having said that, don’t try anything new before the event. Stick to the foods you know you can consume and run without problems. The last thing you want is a digestive problem while you’re running 13.1 miles!

3. During the event – During the half marathon it will be very important to supply your body with a steady dose of glucose and fructose (sugar). This is the time to eat high GI foods. The high GI foods quickly release energy and give you a fast energy boost. Good high GI foods that are convenient during a run include energy gels (GU) and sports drinks (Gatorade and Powerade). Here’s the tricky part of consuming them, however - you don’t want too much glucose as you may feel sick to your stomach, and likewise you don’t want too little as you’ll run out of gas. Again, running 13.1 miles doesn’t cause a major crash as compared to 26.2, but you will notice the difference with the appropriate fueling during the run. Here’s a must read article on the sports drinks vs. gels, the challenges and benefits of both: http://www.multidays.com/html/articles/energy_gels.htm

As always, hydrate well the day before and the morning of the Half, and in particular, during the carbohydrate loading period (three days prior to the half). Research has shown that carbohydrates convert to glycogen more effectively when accompanied with the consumption of water.

Immediately Following the Half

After crossing the line, get something to drink (water and a recovery drink). Within an hour or so of finishing, grab something to eat with your favorite running partners and celebrate your awesome achievement!!!

Here’s this week’s schedule:

Monday – Boot Camp or XT

Tuesday - Run 5 miles easy

Wednesday - Boot Camp or XT

Thursday - 9 mile pace run (final pace run before Columbus)

Friday - Boot Camp orXT

Saturday – 8 miles slow and easy (or 14 miles for those doing Indy on 11/7/09)

Leah looks forward to seeing you tomorrow at Crossroads at 5:30am!

Your friend in fitness,

Brian Calkins

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com