Runner returns to training team

Thought you may find this story interesting. It is about Kathy Ivins from Richmond Virginia. She is a 50-year-old commercial real estate broker and has has signed up for the Marathon Training Team. To read her story, click on the Richmond Times-Dispatch logo above. I am not positive, but I think this will be a continuing series. Enjoy!

Hydration Systems

Great run today everyone! As you can tell the summer weather has arrived and with it has come thirsty runners. I will begin today preaching the importance of staying hydrated during a run. To put it bluntly, you will never make it through the summer unless you drink on your runs. The summer in North Carolina is brutal. Even if you run early or late, the heat will make three mile runs feel like 13. To combat the heat you need to drink. If you think you will be tougher because you don't drink, you will end up sick or injured.

On our long runs we will have fluids available in strategic locations. If you do not mind carrying a bottle in your hand, you can stop reading now. If however you want your hands free during runs, there are several options available to runners.

• Multi Bottle Belts: Lots of little bottles evenly distributed around your waiste (Fuel Belt is the most common)
• Single Bottle: One large bottle that fits in the small of your back (Lots of options)
• Fluid Bladders: A bladder device with a long drinking straw (Camel Back is the most common)

All options have advantages disadvantages. Check them out online, and ask other runners about theirs. Whichever you decide, choose something.

• Fuel Belt --- Amphipod --- Road Runner Sports --- Camel Back

These products can purchase directly through the links above, through sites like Road Runner Sports, or at local stores like Raleigh Running Outfitters.

Shoes, Clothes & Hydration

Shoes: The most important thing you can do to stay healthy and to enjoy your running is to train in a proper pair of shoes. If you are only running three miles around the neighborhood, you might be able to, for the short term, survive in any shoes. However, as you increase your mileage, you will be increasing the stress on your body.

Everyone has different feet and different way their feet strike the ground. Shoes are now made to help compensate for each of the three types of feet.

How to get the best shoes? Go to a professional. In this terms, it is a shoe store that specializes in running footwear. They are trained to diagnose different foot patterns and wear patterns on your shoes. They are trained to get you into a shoe that will help to prevent the most common injuries.

When you go to the running store, be sure to take your current pair of shoes. It will help is analyzing your feet. How long your shoes will last is unique to each person. The general rule of thumb is 300 to 500 miles.

Clothing: Three words sum up clothing. Cotton is Bad. When you run, (in summer or winter) your comfort will be enhanced by the removal of moisture from your skin. (a term called wicking). Cotton absorbs moisture. Cotton keep the moisture on your skin.

A few years ago, fabrics (mainly polyester based fabrics) were developed that do a very good job of wicking the moisture from your skin and letting it evaporate. There are many names for this fabric, the most common being Dri-fit.

It is most important to make sure you have the wicking fabrics in your socks. Second in importance would be your shirt (and sports bra for the ladies).

Dehydration: When body fluid is lost through sweating and not replaced, you dehydrate. When dehydrated, body cells work inefficiently, sweating decreases, heart rate and body temperature increase, and less blood is available to circulate oxygen and glucose through the body. This is true in summer and winter.

DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! Drink water before, during, and after running, as well as throughout the day. Sports drinks work great, but stick to water during the day to stay away from unnecessary calories! The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 16-18 oz. of fluid two hours before exercise. If you don’t urinate within an hour, drink another eight oz. Then, drink 8-16 oz. five-fifteen minutes prior to your run. During your run, drink every 5-10 minutes(you should consume 6-12 oz. every 15-20 minutes). Don’t wait until you’re thirsty! For those of you carrying a water bottle, it should be empty 45 minutes into your run. After your run, start drinking immediately to help replace lost fluids and bring down your body temperature. Aim for at least 16 oz. for every 30 minutes of running.

Good judgment is the result of experience and experience is the result of bad judgment. - Anonymous

Note: The above information is provided by Coach Don Garber.

05/27 Saturday Routes

There is a 6-mile route and a 3-mile route this weekend. After handing out the notebooks and a short meeting, we will leave from the YMCA and head towards Martin Luther King Park on the trails. Both groups will go the same direction, but the 3-mile group will turnaround near the baseball fields, and the 6-mile group will run two laps around the MLK park. The map gives you a general idea of the route, but the distance is not accurate (it is hard to map a route on trails).

For a map click on MLK Out & Back to the right. For written directions, refer to the email, or click on Written Routes. See everyone on Saturday at 8:00 a.m.

Wednesday Running Groups

As you will see from your plans, Wednesday runs will get increasing longer as you progress with your training. These are great days to run with someone else. Based on your feedback, below are the times each of you said you may be interested in running. Take a look at the contact list, and email some others and try to plan some runs together. It does not only have to be Wednesdays.

• Morning: Ursula, Matt, Elaine, Misty, Patti, Jeff, Tracy H, Kinnie, Michael F, Ryan
• Noon: Frank, Kinnie, Carol, Andy, Tracy H, Michael F
• After Work: Tracy P, Patti, Jeff, Ryan, Michael F
• After Dinner: Michael F, Larry, Ryan
• TBD: Dave, Angela, Mike B, Arthur

The best thing to do is send an email to the people in one of the groups above a day or two before you plan to run. Pick a time, and pick a place. Ask them to reply-to-all on the email if they can run that week.
Don't feel like you have to run from the YMCA. Pick someone's house, or start at the Harris Teeter. The Harris Teeter has bathrooms and water fountains, plus I already have a few routes posted online. If you have a good route you want to share, let me know and I can put it on our website.

Email #1 from Don Garber

Administrative: Shoe / Clothing clinic----your clinic will June 6th at the YMCA. For those of you who cannot make it, I will post the handout on the website later in the week

Routes-- The routes will generally be posted by Wednesday on the website.... We will not have mass quantities of these at the runs, so review the route and print yourself a copy before coming out on the weekend. Check out the website as it also has a message board where you can ask general questions and a lot of other good features.

Weekday runs... Over the next few weeks, talk to your teammates and find out when they run during the week. If you have several people who want to start running at specific times, let me know and I can post it on a separate page on the website. Look for more details later.

Book / Training Schedule... make sure to get it this weekend. Also, if you want an electronic version of the schedule, just let me know and I can forward it to you.

Training: Over the next several weeks, the first thing you should be concentrating on is to develop consistency. Nothing is more important that developing consistent, repeatable training habits. I call it "making it a part of your life". Making sure you get those runs in during the week. Not letting life derail you. Make an appointment with yourself to train. Put it on your calendar if you must. If you develop the habits when you are only running 30 or 40 minutes on Wednesday then the habits will stay with you when you need to be spending more time running later. If you get in the habit of missing runs now, it will be hard to change later.

Consistency. Discipline. Dedication... The things that get you to and thru the marathon. Have a good week. Be at your group run next weekend.

Don Garber -Head Coach

Note: Don sends weekly emails that I will share with our team. I will remove the information that is only relevent to those in Richmond to save space and avoid confusion

Shoe Clinic on June 6th

Our shoe clinic is scheduled for Tuesday, June 6th at 7:00 p.m. This might be one of the most important meetings we have. Jim Micheels from Raleigh Running Outfitters will be in Rocky speaking at the YMCA. He will discuss shoes, running apparel, and hydration options. It is critical to start your training with the right gear, so please make every attempt to be there.