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Racing Tips

Racing Tips

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Racing well in the heat

Tips for racing a 5k

Marathon/Half Marathon Race week checklist

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COMPRESSION SOCKS 🧦 • A lot of runners will wear compression socks either after runs or even during runs! So, what’s the deal with them and should you wear them too? • ❓HOW DO THEY WORK❓ 👉Traditionally, compression socks were used in the medical field for bedridden/immobile patients who needed to improve their leg circulation and help prevent the formation of blood clots. 👍 They are basically a very strong, elastic sock usually worn up to the knee. They compress your veins and muscles so that blood is circulated through your legs via narrower channels. Blood then gets returned back to your heart ♥️ faster, making it less likely to pool into your feet and cause swelling • ❓HOW WILL THEY HELP ME AS A RUNNER❓ 👉Compression socks are designed to reduce swelling, muscle soreness, and muscle fatigue experienced post-exercise. Some runners find that they don’t help them at all, and research isn’t completely in agreement on the benefits especially as it relates to wearing them while running. Many runners do find that the socks help speed up recovery post-run. We recommend trying them out to see how and if they could work for you! 👍 • ❓WHAT SHOULD THEY FEEL LIKE❓ 👉Most brands apply graduated compression, so they are tighter around the ankle and less so around the knee making them kind of hard to put on. Since leg sizes vary, you need to find your correct size. They shouldn’t feel SO tight that they are uncomfortable but they should be tight! There are also different levels of compression ranging from 15 (lower compression) to 40 (medical grade) mmHg • ❓WHAT ARE SOME GOOD BRANDS TO TRY❓ 👉CEP, Rockay, Injinji, Zensah, Bombas are all awesome brands to look into! 🔥

✨VIRTUAL 10 MILE PR!✨ • @running.mama.bear ran a HUGE 6 minute 10 mile PR virtually a few weeks ago when her 10 mile race was ❌CANCELLED❌ • @run4prs.coachbenjacobs and Kelly decided the best course of action was to RACE IT ANYWAYS! 💪 • She’s got races planned for the Fall, but in her words: “I’m hoping for more PRs, but my main goal is just to enjoy the journey.” 🙌 • ❗️We know it can seem scary and intimidating to go out alone and run your heart out without the real race course environment, but many are finding that it’s a more satisfying feeling to go out there and run these virtual races ALL ON YOUR OWN❗️ • 👉Whether you run a PR or not is beside the point. Running for PRs is ❌NOT❌ all about the time on the clock. It’s about finding your BEST SELF in the journey • ⭐️It’s not reaching the goal that will change you, it’s the pursuit of it that will⭐️

WHEN TO START TRAINING FOR FALL RACES ⌛️ • We are 5-7 months out from many fall races and marathons! It seems like a long time away now, but it will be here before you know it. A common question we get is when to start training for Fall races... • The answer is ❗️NOW❗️You want to start building your base ASAP if you aren’t already • ❓WHY❓ ✅You will have more time to get really race-specific and build more mileage that will help you reach your goals. If you start in May or June for an October marathon without running consistently before that, then you have to start with simple building blocks. You’ll have less time to get in solid work! 💪 • ❓HOW LONG SHOULD MY MARATHON TRAINING CYCLE BE❓ 👉Training cycles don’t have specific start dates because ideally you are always running but with different emphases throughout the year. You CAN train all year long if you do it correctly! In a perfect world, a year with an October marathon would look like this: ✅JANUARY-APRIL: Base building period. Should be comfortable doing 90 minute long runs. Mileage should be 25-50% of peak marathon training mileage ✅MAY-SEPTEMBER: Continue building on base, marathon specific workouts, building on long runs ✅OCTOBER: MARATHON! ✅NOVEMBER-DECEMBER: Off season! Includes recovery from marathon and building base mileage back up ✅REPEAT! • ❓HOW SHOULD I PICK TIME GOALS❓ ✅Do a time trial or a 5k race FIRST, then determine your goals based off of that. Your training cycle needs to meet you where you’re at. Coming in with a goal is great, but your current level of fitness determines what is possible in 6 months 🙌 ✅If your current 5k pace is your goal marathon pace, it is time to readjust your goals that are more in line with where your current fitness is at ✅You can do a tune up race 4-8 weeks before your marathon to get an even better idea of what your time goal should be

🏋️‍♀️ OUR TOP AT-HOME LEG STRENGTH EXERCISES 🏋️‍♀️ • GYMS ARE CLOSED 🙅🏼❗️If you are looking for runner-specific bodyweight leg exercises to do at home while quarantined… we’ve got you covered! 🙌 • 👇Here are our top exercises that require ZERO equipment to get strong 💪 this season:👇 • ✅BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS (3-4 sets x 10-15 reps each leg): Put one leg on a chair, and squat down to a 90 degree angle. Make sure your leg on the ground isn’t too close or too far away from the chair. Keep hands on hips or in a prayer position. If you do have dumbbells, use them! • ✅SINGLE-LEG SQUATS (3-4 sets x 10-15 reps each leg): Stand with feet shoulder width apart, pointing straight ahead. With hands out front or on hips, lift one leg, and slowly squat down as if sitting in a chair, with leg outstretched. Get as close to 90 degrees as you can without your knees beveling inward, and stand up • ✅JUMP SQUATS (3-4 sets x 10-20 reps): Start in a squat position, jump up, and land back down into a squat position • ✅ BIRD DOGS (3-4 sets x 10-20 reps each side): On your hands and knees, alternate raising opposite arm and leg. Hold at the top for 5 seconds • ✅LATERAL LUNGES (3-4 sets x 10-15 reps each leg): Begin by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Step out to the right and shift your body weight over your right leg, squatting to a 90 degree angle at the right knee. Try to sit down with your butt, keeping your back as upright as possible. Switch to the left leg! Hands can be on hips or in prayer position. Again, if you have dumbbells, use them! • ‼️If you are completely NEW to strength training, keep the reps closer to 5-8 per set! You want to start small and work your way up 👍

✨THERE ARE NO OVERNIGHT SUCCESS STORIES! ✨ • @plantpowermamaof4 CRUSHED an 8 year old half marathon PR in a virtual race this past weekend! Her PR from 2012 was when she had 1 child 👶, now she has 4! 👶👶👶👶 • 🔥1:58 (2012) to 1:54 (2020)🔥 • Kristen’s previous half marathon times before working with @run4prs.coachbri were all between 2:08-2:26. Her breakthrough to Sub 2 took TIME! ⏰ • It’s SO easy to look at other runners and think that they have more natural talent than you and that you could never be as fast as them • 👉The TRUTH is that there is a ton of hard work that goes on behind the scenes, hard work and consistency you often don’t see on social media • Kristen worked HARD for these results and EARNED this new PR! 🎉Congratulations!🎉 We can’t wait to see what is in store for you next 🤩

FITNESS WATCH VO2MAX FEATURE ⌚️ • Runners love seeing that VO2Max boost on their watch after a big workout! 😍 If you love running data, then you’ve likely dove into your VO2Max data to see where you’re at 🔍 • ❓But what is VO2Max anyway❓ Technically speaking, it is the maximum volume of oxygen (in milliliters) you can consume per minute per kilogram of body weight at your maximum performance. It is the max rate at which you can bring oxygen into your body, transport it through your blood to supply your muscles, and then utilize it for efficient aerobic energy production. A higher VO2Max means that your body can take in more oxygen and deliver it to your muscles, allowing you to run faster at a given effort 🏃 • ❓How do watches predict this measure❓ The calculation 📐 uses a combination of background information and data collected during activity. It mostly focuses on heart rate and running speed. The algorithm learns from you over time. The more you use your device, the more reliable your VO2max estimate becomes. It is also designed to recognize the best data/runs for making the calculation, like workouts • ❓Is it accurate❓ A true VO2Max test is administered by a qualified professional. You are hooked up to a breathing mask that is connected to a computer, measuring your oxygen consumption as you go through the test. The test is made more and more difficult by increasing speed and/or grade on a treadmill. The test stops when your oxygen consumption redlines, or you request to stop the test. A watch can estimate this number, but a watch can’t be as accurate as the true test 🤓 • ❗️The takeaway❗️ Like all fitness watch predictor features, the accuracy isn’t going to be 💯%. Also, your VO2Max will decrease during times of off season, which is totally normal, and it will increase during your harder training weeks.🔥We recommend looking more at the data trends over months and years rather than days or even weeks🔥

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