Adding Tempo Runs During Your Peak Marathon Training

Here's how to add tempo runs to your weekly sessions during your peak marathon training.

Tempo runs should not be too SHORT or too SLOW.

Typically 20 minutes is sufficient. You need to get the muscles working hard for a sufficient length of time for the muscles to become proficient.

But as your marathon goal is, you should run 8 to 10k at tempo speed.

Do this challenging long-tempo run once or twice during your weekly training.

After your warm-up, run 10 kilometres at the easier end of your tempo pace range.

Jog for five minutes, then do another 10K at a tempo pace.

Maintaining that comfortably hard pace for so many kilometres will get you into shape for long distances.

Initially, the pace would feel uncomfortably hard, but as you become fitter and stronger, the pace becomes "comfortably hard".

Of course, this TEMPO run is for the more advanced runner.

Set goals

SET YOURSELF CLEAR GOALS.

And keep them to yourself.

Talking about your goals will never help you achieve them.

Likewise, I’ve heard plenty of people talk a big game and never deliver.

You should have clear goals, such as setting yourself a 1:58 finish time and then spending your time working toward achieving that.

COMMITMENT.

If you’re a casual runner, commit to running a certain number of days a week and stick to it.

If you are a competitive runner, try training twice a day.

TRAIN ALONE

I’m not saying you should be a running hermit. Try doing 50% of your training alone.

I believe this helps in several ways:

• It allows you to stick to your game plan of running easy or hard, short or long, without ever adjusting to whoever you happen to be running with.

Optimize Your Training To Maintain High Levels Of Fitness & Performance

1. Run better.

Wherever you are right now, remove your shoes and socks, stand up and jump up and down a few times, landing on your heels.

You’ll quickly realize that landing on your heels is jarring and unnatural. To do it, you have to actively flex your toes and lock out your knees. 

Want to try it on one foot? I didn’t think so.

Yet, for some reason, many long-distance runners land on their heels when they run. That’s approximately 1,000 jarring, unnatural impacts on each foot in a 20-minute run. Talk about a recipe for an overuse injury.

Not to mention that landing on your heels slows you down. To land on your heel, you must reach your foot out in front of you.

Imagine riding a bicycle and trying to go faster by slapping at the ground with a canoe panel. Would that help propel you forward?

No. 

Every time the paddle contacts the ground in front of you, it acts as a brake on your forward momentum. Every time your foot contacts the ground in front of you as you run, it slows you down.

Research shows runners who land on the balls of their feet absorb shock better and are less likely to get injured than runners who land on their heels.

So, the first step to avoiding injury while running is to run with better technique. Land on the balls of your feet instead of your heels. 

• Don’t let your knees cave in or feet turn out. 
• Don’t reach your foot out in front of you. Anything that deviates from your body’s natural biomechanics is a recipe for injury. 

And improving your running technique will help you run faster.

2. Run less, faster.

Overuse implies doing too much of an activity. So, an obvious way to avoid overuse injuries is to do less of the activity in question.

However, it also seems logical that running less will decrease running fitness. But that’s not the case.

Running repeated, short, high-intensity intervals with rest periods in between intervals can help runners decrease their training volume and maintain or increase their fitness.

Research on high-intensity interval training shows:

• Runners who completed 4–7 rounds of 30 seconds at maximum intensity with 4 minutes of recovery 3 times a week improved their 3,000-meter time and could run longer before reaching exhaustion.

• Runners who performed high-intensity interval training twice a week improved their running economy and peak speed and showed similar improvements in VO2 max and 5,000-meter time compared to runners on their regular training program.

• Runners who performed high-intensity interval training experienced greater improvements in heart function compared to those who performed long, steady-state runs.

In other words, runners can avoid overuse injuries by running less without missing out on gains in fitness. Combined with better running technique, this approach can allow runners to maintain health and improve performance.

Race Day Etiquette 🥇 – Tips for Newbies and A Refresher for Us All 👟

Racing is inherently a solo activity. Only you can control your speed, mind, and pain threshold.

Sure, you're surrounded by thousands of other spandex-clad runners, but you aren't working together as much as simply forging ahead with lips pursed and eyes laser beamed in on the person in front of you.

So, if we're out there for ourselves, is there race etiquette to be followed?

YES!

After months of training, everyone arrives a little amped up, anxious and determined at the start line. Maybe that means shuffling a little closer to the front, nerves that require a few more bathroom breaks…maybe it means music loud enough to drown out the negative voices.

It always means thousands of people are focused on their goals but must flow together for optimal enjoyment and performance.

For those fearful of lining up at their first race and those whose britches have gotten too big from being a long-time runner, here are a few reminders to make everyone's experience a tad more fun and PR-worthy.

RACE SHIRT

DO feel free to wear it on race day for something like a Halloween run or a Pink event.
DON'T wear it for longer distances, it's just an unspoken rule of "earning" the shirt.

DO wear the race shirt from the previous year if you ran to show off your veteran status.
DON'T wear race shirts from races you didn't run.

BATHROOM BREAKS 

DO use the provided porta-potties
DON'T judge those who have to use a bush because the lines are too long.

DO bring your own TP to the start.
DON'T just don't leave the porta potty so gross even a desperate runner won't use it.

START LINE

DO get in your assigned corral. They have them to prevent people from getting run over and faster runners from being slowed down.
DON'T wear your bib on your back; this is not a rodeo.

DO feed off the energy of those around you and line up with friends.
DON'T run 5 wide and make it impossible for anyone to pass your merry band.

FINISH LINE

DO run all the way across both mats to get your time and best photo
DON'T get cranky with the volunteers/marshalls. You might be tired, but they are unpaid help making our enjoyment possible.

DO encourage any runner you are passing with a very simple "good job" or "we got this"
DON'T assume you know why someone is walking or tell them they need to run.

WATER STOPS

DO move to the side of the water station when you see it coming up to avoid sprinting horizontally through traffic.

DON'T come to a complete stop unless you like being shoved from behind.

TRASH

DO toss your cup or water sachet in the bins provided on the side of the road.
DON'T drop in the middle of the road for everyone else to run over (it becomes slippery).

DO look before you toss to avoid sloshing volunteers or other racers.
DON'T treat the street like a garbage can; hold on to those gel wrappers until you see a trash area.

WALK BREAKS

DO move to the side.
DON'T be afraid to take them, whether it's your race plan or just a must-stop now before I die feeling.

DO look behind you to avoid slamming into someone as you move to the side.
DON'T stop mid-stride in the middle of the road!

Finally, here's a reminder that time is not the only measure of a great day, so relax and enjoy your training efforts regardless of pace.

Skip These 5 Foods If You’re Working Out Soon

We’ve all been there: You’re just gearing up to crush a workout, and it strikes. “It” being the stomach cramping, the bathroom urgency, the wave of fatigue. If you’re exercising outside or in the middle of a fitness class, this gastrointestinal distress can be even more discouraging.

Although a sudden virus might be at play, it’s more likely that what you ate just before working out could be the culprit. “Exercise and digestion are mutually exclusive,” says Shawn Khodadadian, MD, of Manhattan Gastroenterology. 

“When you exercise, your body isn’t using its energy for digestion. It slows that process to divert as much blood as possible to your muscles and lungs.”

That means foods you digest just fine when not working out could cause problems if you eat them pre-exercise. Certain foods can prompt heartburn, stomach ache or even vomiting, Khodadadian notes.

Here are some common food choices to avoid:

1. PROTEIN SHAKES & BARS

While protein is beneficial for post-workout recovery, it can be harsh on your system if you have a shake right before working out. That’s because protein digests slowly, Khodadadian says. If you’re having a shake less than three hours before a workout, you could see some digestive blowback. The same goes for a high-protein bar.

The fix: If you regularly rely on a protein boost before working out, and tend to feel not-so-great while exercising, try having the shake or bar afterwards.

2. MILK

Many runners love chocolate milk fix, but they’re careful to drink it after a big run or a race. That’s because milk has high amounts of protein and fat, which take time to digest.

The fix: If you’re looking for a dairy-type boost in your pre-workout mix, consider whey protein mixed with filtered water instead — but even then, consume the drink at least a few hours before your workout.

3. HIGH-FIBER CEREAL

Loading up on a carb-rich choice like cereal is tempting before exercising, especially if you’re pressed for time. But, like protein, fibre digests slowly, and your workout can interfere with that process, Khodadadian notes.

The fix: As an alternative, try a food you can digest easily that’s high in carbs but low in fibre, such as oatmeal. That way, you can get the fuel you need without the GI issues. Consider adding even more of a carb boost with bananas or mangoes.

4. SPICY FOOD

Even if you regularly amp up your spice levels, you may have issues if you overeat before working out. The slower digestive processes that happen when you begin exercising could leave that delicious taco sitting in your stomach, and that can prompt indigestion or heartburn.

The fix: Skip the spice altogether and save the heat for a post-workout treat.

5. SALAD

Yes, you should load up on vegetables. But eating raw veggies can be tricky, says Terry Wahls, MD, author of “The Wahls Protocol.” Although raw vegetables have more fibre than cooked, they also have intact enzymes, and their cell walls are still solid, which means it takes more energy for your body to digest them. If you’re just sitting in an afternoon meeting, that’s no big deal. But if you’re trying out your new HIIT workout, it can become a source of digestive problems.

The fix: Opt for easier-to-digest, lower-fiber cooked vegetables and save the salad for another time.

WHEN SHOULD YOU EAT?

Although some people swear by “fasted cardio” workouts, it’s usually more effective to eat something before exercising, according to Khodadadian. He says, “Not eating anything before a workout will leave you tired and weak. Just give your body the proper time to digest before exercising; you may need two or three hours for digestion.”

Your blood sugar rises to help you digest, he adds. By waiting a few hours, those blood sugar levels will drop back to normal, giving you the energy you need to devote to your workout — without a stomach ache or heartburn along the way.

10 Reasons To Try High-Intensity Interval Training

Unless you ~don't~ want to get fit fast...

You know that girl on the elliptical who sticks it out for an entire episode of This Is Us, slogging away at the same pace for the whole thing? (Maybe you even are that girl…?)

Well, sorry to break it to her (you?), but she could be spending a lot less time in the gym each week and seeing even better results, thanks to something called HIIT (a.k.a. high-intensity interval training—and, yup, it’s pronounced “hit”).

The technique doesn’t require fitness influencer-level skills. You can do HIIT with any workout, as long as you mix short, intense bursts of activity with less hardcore moves or complete rest in between.

Still not convinced you should give it a try? Allow me to change your mind…

1. It burns more kilojoules while you’re working out.

Who wouldn’t love a more efficient workout?

HIIT burns 25 to 30% more kilojoules than resistance training, cycling, and treadmill running, according to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

“When you’re in a moderate, low-intensity exercise state—an aerobic state—your body can keep up with the amount of activity it’s being asked to do,” explains Jacque Crockford, certified trainer. “But with HIIT, you’re asking more and more and more from your body, and that comes with a lot of extra kilojoules burned.”

2. It burns more fat in less time.

In addition to burning more kilojoules, HIIT workouts also help you burn more fat in less time than endurance activities, says BJ Gaddour, author of Your Body is Your Barbell. That’s because it causes your body to start burning fat for energy instead of carbs, research published in the journal Sports Medicine Open shows.

In a study in the Journal of Obesity, doing three HIIT workouts a week for 20 minutes, each helped participants lose 2 kilos of body fat in 12 weeks.

3. It keeps burning kilojoules, even after you stop working out.

Of course, burning fat and kilojoules in a sweat sesh is great, but a metabolism that keeps on revving is key to staying trim. When you do a “sustainable” exercise, like going on a long run, your body uses less oxygen than when you push yourself to the max, as you do during HIIT.

And when you work out to the point where it’s difficult to breathe (because your body is using more oxygen), your metabolism starts working at a higher level, which helps you burn more kilojoules even after you stop exercising, says Dr Jordan Metzl, an exercise physician and author of The Exercise Cure.

A study published in the journal Sports Medicine Open shows that HIIT increases your metabolism post-exercise even more than jogging and resistance training. “After the exercise is over, when we’re trying to come back to a normal resting state, it takes a lot of different efforts to bring your systems back to homeostasis,” explains Crockford, “and that fires up your metabolism.”

4. It strengthens a major muscle.

That would be your heart. When you turn up the intensity of your workout, as HIIT does, you’re making your heart work harder, says Metzl. And since this muscle (like most) becomes stronger after tough training, HIIT benefits your heart health.

Plus, a study by the American Council on Exercise found that Tabata workouts (the original basis for high-intensity interval training, which consists of eight intervals performed in four minutes) effectively boost cardiovascular strength. And for people already suffering from heart issues, HIIT may actually more than double cardio fitness improvements compared to moderate-intensity workouts, reports the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

5. It keeps your blood sugar in check.

You know that eating healthy and regularly helps maintain your blood sugar levels, but HIIT can help, too. A review of 50 studies revealed that HIIT improves insulin resistance more than steady-state exercise.

“We want to maintain a relatively even amount of blood sugar through diet and exercise,” says Crockford. When it’s too low, you’re likely to get hangry and experience mood swings; when it’s too high, your pancreas goes into overdrive releasing insulin to bring it down.

“It’s better if we don’t need to have a lot of that insulin released,” says Crockford, because eventually, your body develops a resistance to it, leading to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, cancer, and more.”

6. It can lower your blood pressure.

High blood pressure basically doubles your risk of cardiovascular disease. But eight weeks of 20-minute HIIT workouts, three times a week, can decrease blood pressure as much as a continuous exercise for 30 minutes, four days a week, reports a study published in the journal The Physician and Sportsmedicine.

“Exercise is medicine, and it can be preventative for those without high blood pressure and prescriptive for those who do have it,” says Crockford.

7. It increases oxygen consumption.

“Oxygen consumption is your cardiorespiratory system’s ability to efficiently use oxygen—from the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and everything in between,” explains Crockford. Just 20 minutes of HIIT four days a week can improve oxygen consumption by 9% over five weeks, almost the same increase as if you did continuous cycling for 40 minutes a day, four days a week, according to a study published in PLoS One.

That matters because it's the cardiorespiratory system that allows you to suddenly run up the subway stairs, chase after your kid when he bolts into the street, and generally handle any surprising situation you’re thrown into.

8. It’s the fitness equivalent of buy one get one.

You might not think it’s possible to squeeze a solid strength-training session and a kilojoule-torching cardio workout into one quick routine, but you would be wrong, says Metzl. With interval training, you’re pushing yourself as hard as possible to accomplish as many reps as possible.

That butt-busting earns you cardiovascular benefits. By incorporating strength-training exercises into your intervals (as well as cardio moves), you also reap muscle-strengthening benefits, he says.

9. You can tailor your training to your fitness level.

You don’t have to perform eight intervals of 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off (the original Tabata workout)—those types of intervals would be something a highly trained exerciser would shoot for.

If you’re not quite ready for that challenge, there are ways to tweak your work-to-rest ratio, as well as the moves you’re doing.

“Longer rest periods—maybe 60 or 90 seconds—and shorter work intervals of 30 seconds or less at 70% of your effort, versus 100 or 110%, is definitely a good place to start,” says Crockford. “You want to slowly work toward a higher intensity on the work interval, and changing the rest intervals to be a little shorter is how your body will begin to adapt and become more efficient.”

10. It doesn’t require a gym.

Eve Overland, Carrie Underwood’s tour trainer, has said that she loves to bust out interval-training moves to help the country singer get in quick exercise sessions when she’s on the road and doesn’t have a fully stocked gym—because, yup, you can even do interval training with bodyweight exercises.

There are also countless fitness apps (mostly for free!) that can help you fit in wherever, whenever.

I am not a morning person! 💤⏰

413 days ago, I started waking up early in the morning. There was just one problem…

I wasn’t a morning person.

Every few months, I try it.

I set my alarm for super-early-o’clock. I lay out my running clothes right near the bed. I think about how awesome it will feel to have my workout done before my kids even roll out of bed for school.

I go to bed with every intention of doing my run early the following day.

And then, the next morning, I hit snooze a couple times on my alarm. I feel my husband stirring beside me, so I know I better not snooze again. I reset the alarm for my normal time and go blissfully back to sleep. 💤⏰

But when I wake up again an hour later, I’m racked with disappointment. Yet again, I’ve failed in my quest to become a morning runner.

Believe it or not, I’ve been doing this same thing for 8 years.

I read the article: “Reasons to Become a Morning Runner?”

You finish early. When you do your runs first thing in the morning, there’s nothing that gets in your way.

You get a great start to the day. There’s no denying the joy of those morning endorphins. They can help you through a long, stressful workday.

You free up time later in the day. It’s a lot less stressful to know your run is done, especially when you’re logging kays training for a race,

You rev up your metabolism. According to studies, fasting before a short morning run can burn more calories.

You sleep better. Studies have also shown that morning exercise can improve your sleeping patterns over the long term.

So yes, based on all the evidence, you should aim to become a morning runner and instantly improve your life.

But even with all that motivation, I can’t seem to do it.

Sometimes, in life and running, we pursue an idea because we think it sounds good, not because it’s the best fit for us.

I have always loved the concept of being a morning runner for the reasons outlined above and also because of the discipline it suggests.

But the truth is, I’m not a morning person.

Never have been. I have difficulty tearing myself out of bed even under the most ideal conditions, even when I’ve gotten eight hours of sleep and it’s a weekend.

So why, I have to ask, am I trying to make myself into something I’m not? ⏰

Sometimes, running is about meeting challenges. But sometimes, it’s about realizing that the challenge isn’t that important.

There’s no one judging me if I don’t have the motivation to do a morning run except myself. It doesn’t make me less of a runner to go at night 🌜 (or at mid-day, my preferred running time — you don’t hear many people describe themselves as a “mid-day person,” but that’s really when I hit my physical and mental stride).

Setting goals is an important part of running. But it’s also essential to set the right ones.

When you show yourself over and over again that you can’t do something, it’s kind of stupid to keep pursuing that goal when the goal itself is arbitrary.

I have achieved other running goals in these 8 years of trying to become a morning runner. I’ve lowered my PR 🥇 in the half marathon, 10K and 5K. I’ve strengthened my core and consistently done hill, tempo and speed days.

I’m proud of all those things defining me as a runner - not what time I get out the door.

So the next time I see one of those articles about how you can be a better runner by running in the morning, I’ll probably just skip it.

Because sometimes you have to let go of a goal that’s not going to happen — and realize it’s OK to do that. ❤️

Life is tough, that's a given.

When you stand up, you're gonna be shoved back down. When you're down, you're gonna be stepped on. 

My advice to you doesn't come with a lot of bells and whistles.

It's no secret: You'll fall down, you'll stumble, you'll get pushed, you'll land square on your face. But, every time that happens, you get back on your feet. You get up as fast as you can, no matter how many times you need to do it.

Remember this--Success has been and continues to be defined as getting up one more time than you've been knocked down.

If experience has taught me anything, it's that nothing is free and living ain't easy. Life is hard, real hard, incredibly hard. You fail more often than you win. Nobody's handing you anything. It's up to you to puff up your chest, stretch your neck, and overcome all the difficulties. The nasty. The mean. The unfair.

You want more than you have now? Prove it!

You want to be the very best there is? Get out there and earn it!

Once you decide that, you will know where it is you want to be and you won't stop pushing forward until you get there!

That's how winners are made.

At the end of the day, success is what we all want. We all wanna win and the race will be won. There is no question about that. 

So, come on. Get out on top! 

Run faster! 

Dream bigger! 

Live better than you have ever before.  

This is in you! 

You can do it! 

Do it for yourself. 

Prove it to yourself.

The Ups and Downs of Running

The original title for this post was

 “I Suck at Running.”

But that seems a little dramatic (and utterly void of all perspective), doesn’t it?

If you’re looking for my typical recommendations on positive self-talk, the importance of believing in yourself and finding motivation from the inside, today is not that day.

Today, I am wallowing in self-pity over having one too many horrible, painful, no-good runs in a row. If I were 3 years old, this is what you would call a temper tantrum, possibly in the middle of a crowded grocery store where every person is glad I’m not their child. It is ridiculous. It is offensive (there are SO many things that could be worse, and this is the most terrible thing in my life).

I think I lost my running mojo. I suppose it was unrealistic for me to believe that nearly all my runs could continue to feel good and be faster than I’d ever trained. Or I could continue juggling life and training with equal intensity and focus.

I don’t want to feel like I suck at running. I don’t like to have to stop and walk during every run. I don’t like seeing times on my Garmin that are way slower than I know I can.

So, I’m going to do something about it. I’m going to stop bitching talking about it and start taking action. There’s no one to blame but myself and no one who can fix it but me. No more excuses. No more putting it off. No more sleeping in. No more creating my weekly schedule and only doing half of it.

There will always be ups and downs when it comes to running. It comes with the territory. But I’ve been on a string of downs for too long, and as much as I love running downhill, I’m ready to go back up. So here I go.

Stop pretending

 

You can pretend to be intelligent or wealthy. You can rent a lifestyle for a week. For a few hours or a few days, you can deceive those around you, and for a while, yourself.

As a runner, you have to face the truth about yourself on a regular basis, and it makes you more honest. You can't pretend to be faster than you are. You can't pretend that you are better prepared than you are. You cannot pretend to be a runner; you must run.

In the end, being a runner is no more complicated than that.

To be a runner, you simply have to run.

It's not enough to dream about being a runner. It's not enough to plan on being a runner. Sooner or later, you have to run.

And if you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get.

You just run.