Tips and General Information
Koach Kelsey
Kelsey Louie has been the volunteer coach of Front Runners New York, the gay and lesbian running club of New York City since 2005. Prior to that, he was the Assistant Cross Country coach at Stuyvesant High School. Kelsey has a very hands on coaching style, as he can often be seen running with his team. In fact, on two separate occasions, he ran an entire marathon with teammates, helping both to successfully reach their lifelong goals of sub 3:30 (2:28:45) and sub 3 hours (2:59:31.)
As part of his regular coaching duties, he sends weekly e-mails with workout schedules and weekly racing/training tips. He also writes in depth articles for the monthly Front Runner newsletter on various training tips. Kelsey is also known for his personal approach to coaching—he really tries to understand each of his runners—what motivates each of them, and which workouts will work best for each one.
Kelsey achieved a time of 2:55:35 Completing the Half Marathon 2010
To learn more about Koach Kelsey, you can go to the following website:
http://www.frny.org/Newsletter/Profiles/KelseyLouie.html
If you have any questions about training for a marathon please feel free to e-mail Koach Kelsey at klouie@harlemunited.org
Warming Up
With the weather warming up, I wanted to remind everybody about some tips on how to run in warm and hot weather more safely. This may not be new to many of you, but it’s worth reading to be reminded of the need to pay attention to several items:Proper hydration before, during and after a run is critical in warm weatherMany people will tell you to reduce the amount of caffeinated beverages and alcohol because they will dehydrate you. But to be more realistic, I won’t ask you to do that, instead I’ll just tell you to be wary of your hydration level, especially if you drink alcohol or caffeinated beverages.
You lose more water while running in warmer weather, so you need to be able to replace these fluid levels during runs. Please note that you shouldn’t wait until you are feeling thirsty; when you are thirsty, you are already becoming dehydrated. Try running with a bottle, using a hydration pack, or bringing a few dollars with you to purchase something to drink—note that Gatorade is $3 at the hot dog stands in Central Park. You can also splash yourself with water to aid in cooling your body.
You also lose a great deal of salt and electrolytes through sweat and should consider using sports replacement drinks instead of water when running in warm weather. This can help to prevent hyponitremia which can develop when you drink too much water and the blood becomes diluted.After a run, you can weigh yourself and drink 16 ounces of water or replacement drink for each pound lost during the run. Or you can be less precise, and just drink a lot. Your urine should be clear--the darker the urine, the more dehydrated you are.
Dress appropriately
While you should do this all the time(!), it is particularly important while you are running in warmer/hot weather. Clothing should be lightly colored and should be made of fabrics which are both lightweight and breathable. This will help to keep you cooler. In addition, fabrics that wick moisture away from the skin will also help you feel more comfortable. Cotton retains fluids, not allowing as much evaporation to occur. The greater the evaporation, the greater the cooling effect. It is actually better to wear a shirt than not while you run, having more skin in direct light of the sun will get you hotter faster. (But if you must take of your shirt, the rest of the club won’t mind too much.)
You should also consider wearing sunscreen to protect the skin in warm weather. There are several brands of sunscreen available which are designed specifically for athletes. These sunscreens are less likely to drip into the eyes and cause stinging or burning. Also, consider running with sunglasses that filter out UVA and UVB rays to protect your eyes. (It can also look cool!)
When and where you run When possible, choose a shady course or where you have access to water. Try to run in the morning or in the evening, when the sun isn’t the strongest. If you need to run in the middle of the day, consider a treadmill or another form of exercise. Aqua jogging is a good alternative.As a rule of thumb, avoid running outside if the heat is above 90 degrees and the humidity is above 80%. While running, the body temperature is regulated by the process of sweat evaporating off of the skin. If the humidity in the air is so high that it prevents the process of evaporation of sweat from the skin, you can quickly overheat. Know the signs of heat-related problemsIndications that you are running while dehydrated are a persistent elevated pulse after finishing your run and dark yellow urine. Again, thirst is not an adequate indicator of dehydration. Signs of heat exhaustion are dizziness, nausea, chills, and ceased sweating. If these symptoms occur when you are running, STOP RUNNING, find shade, and drink water or a fluid replacement drink such as Gatorade. If you do not feel better, seek medical attention. Heatstroke occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature, and the body temperature continues to rise. Symptoms include mental changes (such as confusion, delirium, or unconsciousness) and skin that is red, hot, and dry, even under the armpits.
Most importantly, know your body and do not get TOO hung up on training schedules. Use your judgment and be sensible!
Six Key Ingredients to a Successful Marathon Training Program
There are many different marathon training programs out there, and you will have your preference, but there are some key ingredients to any successful marathon training program. Here they are:
The Long Run
The long run is the most important component of marathon training because it teaches the body to both mentally and physically tackle the challenges presented in completing the 26.2-mile event. Physiologically, the body must learn to tap into and utilize energy reserves from fat storage sites after the glycogen (fuel stores in the muscles, converted over from carbohydrate food sources) have been depleted. Long runs also:
- Provide the necessary endurance to complete the marathon
- Strengthen the heart (increases stroke volume) and opens the capillaries, both sending energy to working muscles and flushing waste products from fatigued muscles
- Strengthen the leg muscles and ligaments, thus improving your endurance
- Recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers to help with slow-twitch tasks (like running a marathon!)
- Teach the body to burn fat as fuel
- Develop your mental toughness and coping skills, thus increasing/ enhancing your confidence level that you can go the full marathon distance on race day
- Increases your overall speed, even for shorter races
Tempo Runs
Tempo runs improve a crucial physiological variable for running success: our metabolic fitness. Tempo runs teach the body to use oxygen for metabolism more efficiently by increasing your lactate threshold, or the point at which the body fatigues at a certain pace. So, tempo runs help you run longer at a particular pace. During tempo runs, lactate and hydrogen ions (byproducts of metabolism) are released into the muscles, making them more acidic, and eventually leading to fatigue. The better trained you become, the higher you push your "threshold," meaning your muscles become better at using these byproducts. The result is less-acidic muscles (that is, muscles that haven't reached their new "threshold"), so they keep on contracting, letting you run farther and faster.
To ensure you're doing tempo workouts at the right pace, use one of these four methods to gauge your intensity.
Recent Race: Add 30 to 40 seconds to your current 5-K pace or 15 to 20 seconds to your 10-K pace
Heart Rate: 85 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate
Perceived Exertion: An 8 on a 1-to-10 scale (a comfortable effort would be a 5; racing would be close to a 10)
Talk Test: A question like "Pace okay?" should be possible, but conversation shouldn’t be.
Medium Long Run
You will also need to do a medium long run that supports your long run. As you know, the regular long runs will help you adapt to the marathon. What will help you adapt to the long runs? Medium long runs! Medium long runs are about 60% of the distance of the long run, and are usually done midweek. Doing these medium long runs will also help you to achieve your mileage goals while still being able to take at least one day off.
Don’t Train to Slow Down
Most people slow down towards the end of their long runs. It’s natural to do so. I mean, it is a long run, after all. This is one of the most common marathon training mistakes. If you are not careful, and continue to do your long runs in this fashion, think about what you are training your body to do! You could actually be getting your body used to slowing down. Granted, you should not race long runs, but you should also be mindful of increasing your effort and pace in the last few miles of your run. In the second half of the marathon training season, run your marathon goal pace at the end of your long runs.
Hills/Speed Work
Hill work and speed work will help with your strength and speed. This is especially important to incorporate into your run if the marathon you are running is hilly, like NYC. Also, this should be done in the first half of your marathon training, easing up on these workouts in the second half. Just come to the Tuesday/Thursday workouts for more tips on this type of workout. (Shameless plug, I know!)
Pack Running
This is a good strategy to employ, as long as you train for it. Running with someone that you are compatible with and who has the same goal as you is a great thing. This will help you emotionally, especially when you feel like slowing down. You just have to find someone that you can stand to be around for that long!
So, there you have it, six of the most important elements of successful marathon training, regardless of which program you follow. Follow as many of these as possible, and I am confident that you’ll be well trained for the 26.2 miles for the fall!
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Events
Nov. 7, 2010