What Goes Up Must Come Down

When we think of hills, we often think of running uphill but overlook the fact that going down, down, baby has its benefits too. The burning sensation in your quads after running hills is from the downhill pounding when your muscles lengthen, not from the uphill climbing when muscles contract. Mastering downhills with the right technique will put less stress on your legs and help you run faster.

3 tips for downhill running:

1. Avoid over-striding: Your feet should strike the ground underneath you near your center of mass, instead of out in front which produces a braking effect. Over-striding results in landing on your heels, placing more strain on your body. Drive from your hips, lift your knees, and increase your stride rate to land softly on your mid-/forefoot, springing right off again.
2. Run tall and forward: Rather than look at your feet, keep your gaze out and down the hill with your posture upright. Engage your core and find a slight lean forward from the hips to battle the tendency to lean back and slow down. Keep a slight bend in your landing leg to avoid absorbing all the impact in your knee.
3. Let it go: Let your mind and body go. This means not thinking about falling or braking and instead opening up your stride and using your arms to balance. Run with confidence and purpose. This is the only time where I will tell you it's OK to flail your arms like a chicken and not drive straight up and down like an antelope.

Suggested workout:
Stay focused on downhills during your training runs. There's no need to seek out steep drops and introduce excessive impact unless you're training for a trail race. Use gradual declines, ideally on softer surfaces, and start with 5 downhill repeats for 30 seconds to 1 minute each at your 10k race pace or 85% effort. Jog back uphill at your recovery pace, working up to 10 repeats at 5k pace or 90% effort over the course of a training program.

Subscribe to thursday tempo

Staying Cool in the Heat

As we face the peak summer heat, it's important to stay cool to get the most out of your training. When the temps warm up, let your body adapt to the heat by focusing on your rate of perceived effort. During your first week of running in warmer weather, listen to your body and adapt gradually over the ensuing couple of weeks. It's ok, and arguably more beneficial, if you run a slower pace to maintain the same effort as you did in cooler weather. When heat spikes even post-acclimatization, perceived effort should be your guiding principle!

Here are my 5 tips on running strong during heat:

1. Nutrition: Electrolyte intake is crucial given we lose more electrolytes, and at a faster rate, in the heat. Before, during, and after runs, try having an electrolyte sports drink instead of just water. NuuN/Zym tablets and SaltStick are worth first experimenting with and then using routinely. Ample hydration and electrolytes will prevent the common occurrence of "cardiac drift" in the heat, where your heart rate increases over the course of a run even when your effort is the same. Dehydration causes your heart to work harder to pump your blood and deliver oxygen to muscles.

In the heat, I almost always carry a bottle with an electrolyte drink. While carrying a bottle adds extra weight, I alternate between my right and left hands and use the bottle to reinforce good form, holding it by my hips instead of chest and driving up and down instead of side to side.

2. Sun protection: Don't forget sunscreen for those hot and sunny days. A light cap or visor will help keep your head cool and prevent your body from overheating. I often also wear sunglasses to avoid squinting and using extra energy. Like the bottle, sunglasses can also help reinforce good form - your head should be steady and your shoulders back and relaxed to keep your sunglasses secure. My favorite brands include Lululemon and Tracksmith for a light hat and Goodr for sunglasses.

3. Apparel: Keep your clothing to a minimum, e.g. a singlet and split shorts. Your kit should be light in color, lightweight, and ideally have vents or mesh. You'll notice many pros cut holes in their singlets for races in the heat! Use nip guards and a healthy amount of vaseline in areas where you experience chafing.

4. Speed work: Do your best to accommodate speed work at the lowest temps of the day, ideally pre-sunrise or post-sunset. You put extra strain on your heart and body and can risk heat illness when running hard intervals in the heat, so be smart and feel free to even take your speed work indoors on the tread.

5. Mental & Physical strength: You will most likely not be racing a marathon in the heat, but even if you do, you'll be mentally and physically prepared. Use the heat to build your mental strength. Your body will also experience physiological changes to sweat faster and pump blood more easily, becoming more efficient at cooling itself. The improved blood circulation delivers more oxygen to your muscles, building your aerobic capacity and physical strength.

Subscribe to thursday tempo

Just Breathe

Controlling your breathing is an important part of running, since deep breaths get more oxygen in your bloodstream and muscles, giving you more energy and endurance. While I rarely think about my breathing when I run, I do intentionally focus on it when my breath is shallow, when I experience fatigue, or when I feel a stitch.

Our diaphragm is a muscle that we need to train and use for deeper, more controlled breaths from the belly rather than shallower breaths from our chest. Deeper breaths send oxygen into the bottom of the lungs, increasing the amount of oxygen we can consume and our VO2 max. You can test this by seeing your belly rise and fall when you take deep breaths and your belly remain mostly still when you take shallow breaths. You should also inhale and exhale from your mouth to maximize oxygen intake (or both your mouth and nose). Using just your nose will result in shallower breaths.

The technique of rhythmic breathing coordinates your foot strike with inhalation and exhalation in an odd/even pattern, so you land alternately on your right and left foot at the beginning of every exhalation, when your diaphragm relaxes and you have less stability in the core. This is done to balance the impact stress of running on both sides of your body. Always exhaling on the same foot is similar to carrying a backpack on only one shoulder. In short, instead of an even inhale on 2 breaths and exhale on 2 breaths, try inhaling for 3 breaths ("in-2-3") and exhaling for 2 ("out-2"). Try this while resting, then walking, then running.

Some research also suggests that intentionally holding your breath - for example, during short sprints, can simulate altitude training and allow your body to adapt to lower levels of oxygen. As a result, your muscles become more efficient at extracting oxygen from the bloodstream. If you want to experience this challenge, do 2 sets of 8 sprints of about 5 seconds holding your breath, every 30 seconds. It will be mentally challenging, and you should certainly avoid this if you have any heart, lung, or high blood pressure condition.

Finally, a tip when you do have a side stitch while running: when inhaling, tighten your abs on the side where you feel the stitch for a couple of seconds and then exhale and relax your abs. This will feel like holding your breath then letting go. Repeat this 5-10 times to make your stitch disappear and get your breath back under control!

Subscribe to thursday tempo

In TRAILS We Trust

I learned a lot about myself and trail running this past weekend at the XTERRA Big Elk Trail Marathon outside Baltimore in the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area.

In short, in all my prior marathons, I had never come as close to a DNF as I did in this race. It was a 2 loop 13.1 trail course, and after just a few miles of ankle-twisting switchbacks, steep inclines and declines, log jumping, stream crossing, and rock hopping, I was ready to downgrade to the half marathon when I finished the first loop.

As I crossed the line to complete the half, I pulled into the aid station for a few cups of Gatorade. Before I could find the race director to state my downgrade or DNF, a volunteer told me: "You're in 3rd, keep going!" There were at least 5 people ahead of me running the half marathon but I didn't realize only 2 people ahead of me doing the full. I pulled it together, mentally and physically, and kept going, reminding myself that I could keep a steady pace and be stronger the 2nd time through the technical course.

Here are 3 reasons why you should try trail running:

1) The Escape: Immersing myself in nature by running through oxygen-rich, shaded woods made me feel raw, energized, and connected to something bigger - Mother Earth. It's extremely humbling to escape the bustling city life and find yourself sidestepping rocks and running through mud. The constant variety of trail running has actually been shown to increase endurance, strengthen the core, and burn more calories than a comparable road run.

2) Lower Impact: While the obstacles will be challenging, the surfaces of trails are softer than typical asphalt or concrete on daily runs. I created less impact on my body while building more strength in muscles to stabilize the core and legs. Your connective tissue becomes stronger with each step and less prone to injury.

3) Better Technique: All the dodging forced me to shorten my stride and increase my turnover. Even though my pace was a bit slower than an open road marathon, my cadence was about the same, and I felt myself landing more on the forefoot than the heel. Shorter and faster strides and mid-/fore-foot landing require less energy and result in more efficient running.

Subscribe to thursday tempo

Know your Pace(s)

As you do more training and more races at different distances, you should begin to know your goal paces like the back of your hand. If you are early in your training, you can focus on perceived effort below and use Hanson's handy calculator.

The main ones to focus on are: 
1) Marathon pace: 65-70% perceived effort. A pace you can sustain for a few hours. 
2) Half-Marathon pace: 80% effort. A pace where you start to feel comfortably uncomfortable. 
3) 10k pace: 85% effort. A pace where you are short of breath and can't hold a conversation. 
4) 5k pace: 90% effort. A pace you can sustain for less than 30 minutes and will be out of breath by the end.

While most of your training may be done at an easy run pace, often slower than your marathon pace, or at your marathon and half-marathon paces, one of the best ways to become a faster runner is to train at faster paces.

Lactate threshold workouts tend to be in between your half-marathon and 10k paces, where lactate accumulates in the blood at a faster rate than it can be removed. Improving your LT allows you to run faster for a longer time, before lactate levels become intolerable resulting in physical fatigue. This can be achieved by longer, Tempo runs, which take place at a pace faster than your Half-Marathon but just slower than your 10k pace. 

Your VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxygen that you can use during running, can be expanded by more running at or faster than your 5k pace for longer. While it's hard to be training for a 5k and a marathon at the same time, mix in the occasional shorter distance races in your training or maintain consistent speed work at 5k and 10k paces to improve your LT and VO2 max!

Subscribe to thursday tempo

Love to FART-lek

If you're new to Fartleks, it means "speed play" in Swedish, a type of workout that alternates between slower and faster running or playing around with your speed. If I tell you that you're very farty, you know what I really mean!

By alternating between an active recovery pace and 10k pace, for example, fartleks help build your aerobic capacity or endurance. After some dynamic stretches and an easy warmup, a traditional fartlek workout may involve 1 minute on (i.e. 10k pace) and 1 minute off (i.e. active recovery pace).

One variation I have been incorporating is a 4 minute effort where you start with your marathon pace for 1 minute, increase to your half marathon pace for the next 1 minute, ease back to your marathon pace for 1 minute, and then finish with your 10k pace for the final minute. 2 minutes of active recovery. Repeat 5 times. Play around with that final minute, finishing faster each effort with your 5k, 1 mile, or 400m pace.

I love fartleks because they make you quickly adapt to different speeds and become a more efficient runner. This will condition you to become faster over a longer distance. You train your mind to become stronger and not give up, so you can push through any mental block as you master knowing and varying your various pace zones.

Finally, fartleks are fun! Hence the "play." They can also mimic the intensity of a race, e.g. if you're running in a pack and a few people surge ahead and you want to stay with them or if you want to lead a surge yourself!

Subscribe to thursday tempo

Have Fun

Running Tip #26. Leading up to your race, have confidence in your training and look forward to an exciting & rewarding day! Line up loose, start easy, remember nutrition, go hard late. And get sleep the night before.

Expo Express

Running Tip #25. Take the express lane at the expo - it's easy to spend hours on your feet trying new snacks, apparel, shoes, and so on. You are better off buying gear after a race or on Cyber Monday. Getting the expo out of the way means you can focus on relaxing tomorrow!

Smile!

Running Tip #24. Smile at the crowds, at the funny signs, at other runners. It will relax you and make racing easier and more fun ! Research from Psychology of Sport & Exercise actually found that smiling improves running economy (oxygen use) by 2%, which is more meaningful over longer distances like the marathon. You’ll notice Kipchoge uses this tactic too. Turn that grimace into a smile!

Carbo-Load

Running Tip #23. Make sure carbs are a large (~70%) part of what you eat this week (pasta, potatoes, bread) to fuel you on race day. Don’t simply eat more of everything especially as you are tapering.
A big meal the night before is a myth. Have simple carbs, some protein, avoid too much dairy or high-fiber. Hydrate with electrolytes the day before. Plan your race morning breakfast 2 or 3 hours before to restock glycogen. I like a banana, bagel with almond butter, and water with electrolyte tablets like NuuN!

Why So Serious?

Running Tip #22. Run a race in costume as a reminder to not take running too seriously!

And for the challenge - it can be sweaty and heavy if you’re wearing a superhero suit. The crowd will love it. You’ll get more cheers than ever before. Happy Halloween!

Dress the Part

Running Tip #21. Have the right clothes to train. If it’s very cold, bring extra clothes to stay warm before. Try to run in as few layers - singlet & shorts - bring a thin hat, gloves, & arm warmers that you can throw off or keep if it’s <55F.
A few other tips: Use a visor or nylon cap if it’s raining or very sunny (+ sunglasses). Use vaseline and nip guards to prevent chafing. Practice carrying nutrition in shorts, in hand, or in a belt so it doesn’t fall out. Finally, write your name on your shirt or bib for extra crowd support!

Embrace the Hills

Running Tip #19. Focus on maintaining effort, not pace, when climbing hills. Keep the stride short, torso tall, high knee drive, arms straight forward & back. Look out in front, not down.

And remember, what goes up must come down. Focus on letting go, opening your stride slightly, catching your breath. Learn to love hills - use them as opportunities to prove yourself and gain a competitive advantage.

Conquer the Beast!

Running Tip #18. Look forward to the Beast showing up during a hard training session or race. The Beast takes the form of a stitch, cramp, heavy legs, or a mental block. Get it under control and have a friendly fight to show who's boss. This is often both mental and physical. You can't hate the Beast and expect to conquer it: "The only way to truly conquer something is to love it." (Born to Run).

Patience

Running Tip #17. This is one I need to work on too. Marathons are about patience just as life is about patience. Don’t chase after the person who passed you, regardless of how good-looking the person is.

Race against yourself. Let your body warm up and do negative splits. You won’t achieve your goals in the first few miles of a race, but you can lose any chance of achieving them. I promise you the marathon is more enjoyable if you are patient.

Taper Time

Running Tip #16. A guest tip from Meb Keflezighi who was an Olympic silver medalist in the marathon in 2004 and won both the NYC marathon in 2009 and the Boston Marathon in 2014. I had the pleasure of meeting Meb twice in NYC, after the UAE Health & Kidney 10k race in Central Park as well as after the screening of the Boston Marathon documentary in Union Square.

Meb tapers 11 days before a race maintaining normal training until then. His last hard run is a 5 - 6 mile tempo run one week out, incorporating strides - fast 100m bursts - at the end of most easy runs . He also reminds us to get to the start healthy. Stay hydrated, take Vitamins and carry hand sanitizer.

Break it Down

Running Tip #15. Don’t get caught up counting each mile. Break down a long run or a marathon race distance into segments like every 4 miles when you have a gel. This will help you win the mental game.

For tough, shorter segments during a race, like the Queensborough Bridge or the 5th Avenue climb in the NYC marathon, break those down too and power through. They will go by in a flash!

Nutrition Plan

Running Tip #14. Gel + water + salt: have a nutrition plan and stick to it. Gel + water every 4-5 miles or 30-45 minutes. Sports drink every 2 miles after the first gel. Salt tablets at miles 13 & 20. Practice nutrition during training even if you feel like you don't need it. If you sweat a lot or it's over 70 degrees, be more liberal.

For Gels, try PowerGel as it has 3x sodium than Gu. SaltStick caps are good for electrolyte replacement and preventing cramping. Finally, avoid caffeine a few weeks before the race and then use it on race day for an extra boost!

Visualize Success

Running Tip #13. Train your brain to race your best. Picture yourself overcoming hard parts of the course and crossing the tape. Create positive mental images while training and before sleeping. These triggers will help you relax and feel incredible on race day!

Have 2 Goals

Running Tip #10. Set an ambitious goal and a secondary one. It’s hard to predict race day temperature which affects your game plan. Your ambitious goal could be to qualify for Boston, set a personal best or break 4 hours. Your secondary one should keep you motivated during the last 6 miles. It can be just to finish and feel awesome! Or a more achievable time goal. If conditions are rough or you have a bad day, focus on the achievable one - there will be many more races.