Coach's Corner

Note: I am a newly certified RRCA Running Coach. Everything posted in "Coach's Corner" is my opinion. I am not a doctor or a dietician. As with anything on the internet, take everything with a grain of salt!

First, and most importantly... one of my runners will be running her first half marathon this Sunday at the Rock 'n Roll Dallas Half Marathon.  She has been really dedicated.  She did a ton of training completely solo while trying to work around her husband's crazy work schedule and finding a way to get her 3 kids taken care.  She put in the miles.  I am so incredibly proud of the work she has put in, and I'm thrilled that I will get to be there when she finishes on Sunday.  So please, send your well wishes for Monica to have a great 13.1 run on Sunday!

Question of the week: What should I carry during the race?
Answer:  Just to cover all the bases… first, plan for the time between arriving and race start.  If you eat at 5am and the race starts at 8am, you will be hungry and thirsty before you even start.  So plan for that.  Bring along a small energy bar or banana and a bottle of water.  For during a race, just remember, the most important thing to have is yourself!  Sure, there are things that are nice to have with you, but ultimately, it’s you and the road (or trail).  But things I think you should carry while running a race are – an ID (or at the very least, fill in the emergency info on the back of your bib), any nutrition you might need during the race (GU, chomps, gummy bears, whatever), water and/or sports drink (I don’t carry water if the temperature is somewhat cool, and I have history with the race and know how often the water stops are), and I also like to carry chapstick (or similar), sometimes tissues, and usually my phone (in case I need to find someone post-race… I do not use a phone during the race… distractions can be dangerous).   (A race checklist can be found on my blog here.)


Tip of the week: Race Hydration!

Since I mentioned it above, I thought I would expand here. There are two things that have to happen in order for me NOT to carry water – the weather has to be somewhat cool AND I have to have history with the race and know how the water stops are. I can share a couple of stories about races with water stops planned that didn’t exist and another race in the 100 degree Texas summer where they ran out of water by mile 3. In the case of water, my motto is better safe than sorry. For me, personally, I tend to carry water in a Nathan handheld. 

I usually take whatever sports drink is offered on the course at every other stop. Others are very sensitive to some sports drinks and prefer others, so they carry them along. There are tons of different hydration belts. Some people love them, others find them bulky and clunky. You have to find what works for you. And how much you can handle carrying and by what method. There are also camelbacks. You might not be able to carry all the liquid you need, but you should be able to carry enough to quench your thirst between stops or if there’s an issue.

Camelbak

iFitness Hydration Belt

Fuelbelt

Motivational Quote of the Week:

In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that.

Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

 

Note: I am a newly certified RRCA Running Coach. Everything posted in "Coach's Corner" is my opinion. I am not a doctor or a dietician. As with anything on the internet, take everything with a grain of salt!

(Runners and coaches, please feel free to offer more input and/or feedback on these Coach's Corner posts.)