With Berlin behind me, I have had some time to reflect on my performance, and what I need to do differently for my next marathon. I have been researching a bit online, ordering a few new books (such as YOU (Only Faster) and the Runner's World Cookbook).
Throughout my online research, I came across this handy article from Runner's World. I found a lot of their Golden Rules pretty helpful, so I am reposting it here for all of you. Some of them I already knew, but they were good reminders, and some of the rules were totally new to me. Enjoy!
Sourced from Runner's World, from this link:
25 Golden Rules of Running:
In most cases, these rules started
out as a lightbulb over one runner's head. After a while, that runner told a
few running buddies (probably during a long run), word spread, and before you
know it, coaches were testing it, sports scientists were studying it, and it
evolved from idea to theory to accepted wisdom. Along with each of the rules we
present, however, we list the exception. Why? Because, as you also learned in
grade school, there's an exception to every rule.
1. The Specificity Rule
The most effective training mimics the event for which you're
training.
This is the cardinal rule of training for any activity. If you want
to run a 10-K at seven-minute-per-mile pace, you need to do some running at
that pace. "Runners are best served by running at goal pace and in the
expected environment of that race," says Ann Snyder, Ph.D., director of
the human performance lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
The
Exception: It's impractical to wholly mimic a race--particularly longer
distances--in training because it would require extended recovery. So, when
doing race-specific training, keep the total distance covered shorter than the
goal race, or run at your race pace in shorter segments with rest breaks
(interval training).
2. The 10-Percent Rule
Increase weekly training mileage by no more than 10 percent
per week.
Joe Henderson, the first editor of Runner's World, and Joan Ullyot,
M.D., author of three women's running books, first popularized the 10-percent
prescription in the 1980s. "I noticed that runners who increased their
training load too quickly were incurring injuries," says Dr. Ullyot.
The
Exception: If you're starting at single-digit weekly mileage after a layoff,
you can add more than 10 percent per week until you're close to your normal
training load.
3. The 2-Hour Rule
Wait for about two hours after a meal before running.
"For
most people, two hours is enough time for food to empty from the stomach,
especially if it's high in carbohydrate," says Colorado sports dietitian
and marathoner Cindy Dallow, Ph.D. "If you don't wait long enough, food
will not be properly digested, raising the risk of abdominal cramps, bloating,
and even vomiting."
The Exception: You can probably run 90 minutes after
a light, high-carb meal, while you may need up to three hours after a heavy
meal that's high in protein and fat.
4. The 10-Minute Rule
Start every run with 10 minutes of walking and slow running,
and do the same to cool down.
"A warmup prepares your body for exercise
by gradually increasing blood flow and raising core muscle temperature,"
says Jerry Napp, a Tampa Bay running coach. "The cooldown may be even more
important. Stopping abruptly can cause leg cramps, nausea, dizziness, or
fainting."
The Exception: It takes less than 10 minutes to rev up on warm
days.
5. The 2-Day Rule
If something hurts for two straight days while running, take
two days off.
Two straight days of pain may signal the beginning of an injury.
"Even taking five days of complete rest from running will have little
impact on your fitness level," says Troy Smurawa, M.D., team physician for
USA Triathlon.
The Exception: If something hurts for two weeks, even if you've
taken your rest days, see a doctor.
6. The Familiar-Food Rule
Don't eat or drink anything new before or during a race or
hard workout.
Stick to what works for you. "Your gastrointestinal tract
becomes accustomed to a certain mix of nutrients," says Dallow. "You
can normally vary this mix without trouble, but you risk indigestion when
prerace jitters are added."
The Exception: If you're about to bonk,
eating something new is probably better than eating nothing at all.
7. The Race-Recovery Rule
For each mile that you race, allow one day of recovery before
returning to hard training or racing.
That means no speed workouts or racing
for six days after a 10-K or 26 days after a marathon. The rule's originator
was the late Jack Foster, the masters marathon world record holder (2:11:18)
from 1974 to 1990. Foster wrote in his book, Tale of the Ancient Marathoner,
"My method is roughly to have a day off racing for every mile I
raced."
The Exception: If your race effort wasn't all-out, taking fewer
recovery days is okay.
8. The Heads-Beats-Tails Rule
A headwind always slows you down more than a tailwind speeds
you up.
So expect to run slower on windy days. "I disregard the watch on
really windy days because headwinds cost me 15 to 25 seconds a mile, and I only
get a portion of that back after I turn around," says Monte Wells, a
longtime runner in Amarillo, Texas, America's windiest city. "The key is
to monitor your effort, not your pace. Start against the wind, so it's at your
back in the second half."
The Exception: On point-to-point runs with the
wind at your back, you'll fly along faster than usual.
9. The Conversation Rule
You should be able to talk in complete sentences while
running.
A recent study found that runners whose heart and breathing rates
were within their target aerobic zones could comfortably recite the Pledge of
Allegiance. Those who couldn't were running faster than optimal.
The
Exception: Talking should not be easy during hard runs, speedwork, or races.
10. The 20-Mile Rule
Build up to and run at least one 20-miler before a marathon.
"Long
runs simulate the marathon, which requires lots of time on your feet,"
says Gina Simmering-Lanterman, director and marathon coach of the Denver Fit
training program. "And knowing that you can run 20 miles helps you wrap
your head around running 26.2."
The Exception: Some coaches believe
experienced marathoners can get by with a longest run of 16 to 18 miles, while
other coaches suggest runs up to 24 miles.
11. The Carbs Rule
For a few days before a long race, emphasize carbohydrates in
your diet.
"Carbo-loading" became the marathoner's mantra after
Scandinavian studies in 1967 suggested cramming down carbs following a period
of carb depletion produced super-charged athletes. Experts now say simply
emphasizing carbs a few days before a race over two hours works just as well.
The
Exception: There's a word for carbo-loading during regular training or before a
short race: gluttony.
12. The Seven-Year Rule
Runners improve for about seven years.
Mike Tymn noticed this
in the early 1980s and wrote about it in his National Masters News column.
"My seven-year adaptation theory was based on the fact that so many
runners I talked to ran their best times an average of seven years after they
started," he recalls.
The Exception: Low-mileage runners can stretch the
seven years to well over a decade before plateauing.
13. The Left-Side-Of-The-Road Rule
To keep safe, run facing traffic.
"While running, it's
better to watch the traffic than to have it come up from behind you," says
Adam Cuevas, a marathoner and chief of the Enforcement Services Division of the
California Highway Patrol. It's the law in California and many other states to
run on the left side unless you're on the sidewalk.
The Exception: The right
side of the road is safer when running into leftward blind curves where there's
a narrow shoulder. The right side can also be safer if there's construction on
the left side.
14. The Up-Beats-Down Rule
Running uphill slows you down more than running downhill
speeds you up.
So, you can expect hilly runs to be slower than flat runs.
"You don't get all of the energy that you expend going uphill back when
you run downhill," explains Nimbus Couzin, Ph.D., a marathon-running
physics instructor at Indiana University Southeast. "That's because when
your feet strike the ground on a descent, a lot of energy is lost."
The
Exception: When you run point-to-point with a net elevation drop, your average pace should be faster than on a
flat course.
15. The Sleep Rule
Sleep one extra minute per night for each mile per week that
you train.
So if you run 30 miles a week, sleep an extra half hour each night.
"Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on training," says David
Claman, M.D., director of the University of California-San Francisco Sleep
Disorders Center. "The average person needs seven and a half to eight
hours of sleep, so increase that amount when you're training."
The
Exception: The extra sleep may not be necessary for some high-energy folks.
16. The Refueling Rule
Consume a combination carbohydrate-protein food or beverage
within 30 to 60 minutes after any race, speed workout, or long run.
"You
need an infusion of carbs to replace depleted muscle glycogen, plus some
protein to repair and build muscle," says Nancy Clark, R.D., author of
Food Guide for Marathoners. "Ideally, the carb-protein ratio should be
4-to-1. Some examples would be 150 to 300 calories of low-fat chocolate milk, a
recovery-sports drink, flavored yogurt, or a bagel and peanut butter."
The
Exception: Immediate refueling is less important if you aren't running hard
again within 24 hours.
17. The Don't-Just-Run Rule
Runners who only run are prone to injury.
"Cross-training
and weight training will make you a stronger and healthier runner," says
TriEndurance.com multisport coach Kris Swarthout. "Low- and nonimpact
sports like biking and swimming will help build supporting muscles used in
running, while also giving your primary running muscles a rest."
The
Exception: The surest way to run better is to run. So if your time is limited,
devote most of it to running.
18. The Even-Pace Rule
The best way to race to a personal best is to maintain an even
pace from start to finish.
Most of the 10,000-meter and marathon world records
set in the last decade have featured almost metronome-like pacing. "If you
run too fast early in the race, you almost always pay for it later," warns
Jon Sinclair, the U.S. 12-K record holder and now an online coach
(anaerobic.net).
The Exception: This doesn't apply on hilly courses or on
windy days, when the objective is to run an even effort.
19. The New-Shoes Rule
Replace running shoes once they've covered 400 to 500 miles.
"But
even before they have that much wear," says Warren Greene, Runner's World
gear editor, "buy a new pair and rotate them for a while. Don't wait until
your only pair is trashed." Consider shoes trashed when the spring is
gone.
The Exception: A shoe's wear rate can vary, depending on the type of
shoe, your weight, your footstrike pattern, and the surfaces you run on.
20. The Hard/Easy Rule
Take at least one easy day after every hard day of training.
"Easy"
means a short, slow run, a cross-training day, or no exercise at all.
"Hard" means a long run, tempo run, or speed workout. "Give your
body the rest it needs to be effective for the next hard run," says Todd
Williams, a two-time U.S. Olympian and online coach at pushthepace.com. Apply
the hard/easy rule to your monthly and yearly training cycles by treating
yourself to one easy week each month, and one easy month each year.
The
Exception: After the most exhausting long runs and speed workouts, especially
if you're 40 or older, wait for two or even three days before your next tough
one.
21. The 10-Degree Rule
Dress for runs as if it's 10 degrees warmer than the
thermometer actually reads.
To put it another way, dress for how warm you'll
feel at mid-run--not the first mile, when your body is still heating up. This
means choosing the right apparel. (See the "Dress for Success" table)
"On cold days, the new soft-shell tops and tights are light, warm, and
breathable," says Emily Walzer, fabrics editor for Sporting Goods Business
Magazine. "On warm days, wear a lightweight performance fabric next to
your skin, which will disperse sweat through evaporation."
The Exception:
There's a limit to how many clothes you can take off without getting arrested,
so if it's in the 70s or warmer, wear minimal lightweight, light-colored
apparel.
Dress for Success
|
|
Here’s a cheat sheet to help you
dress appropriately for your runs, no matter what the thermometer says. This
chart factors in the 10-Degree Rule but doesn’t account for a significant
windchill. On very windy days, you may need to dress warmer.
|
|
TEMP
(in degrees)
|
BASIC APPAREL
|
above 70
|
Lightweight/light-colored singlet
and shorts
|
60 to 69
|
Tank top or singlet and shorts
|
50 to 59
|
T-shirt and shorts
|
40 to 49
|
Long-sleeve shirt and tights or
shorts
|
30 to 39
|
Long-sleeve shirt and tights
|
20 to 29
|
Two upper-body layers and one
lower-body layer
|
10 to 19
|
Two upper-body layers and one
lower-body layer
|
0 to 9
|
Two/three upper-body layers,
one/two lower-body layers
|
below 0
|
Three upper-body layers, two
lower-body layers
|
22. The Speedwork-Pace Rule
The most effective pace for VO2-max interval training is about
20 seconds faster per mile than your 5-K race pace.
The best way to increase
your aerobic capacity and long-distance speed is through VO2-max interval
training. A pioneer of VO2-max training is Jack Daniels, Ph.D., coach at the
Center for High Altitude Training in Flagstaff, Arizona. "By stressing your
aerobic system," he says, "this pace optimizes the volume of blood
that's pumped and the amount of oxygen that your muscle fibers can use."
The
Exception: The exact pace is closer to 10 seconds faster per mile than 5-K race
pace for fast runners, and 30 seconds faster per mile for slower runners.
23. The Tempo-Pace Rule
Lactate-threshold or tempo-run pace is about the pace you can
maintain when running all-out for one hour.
This pace is about 20 seconds
slower per mile than your 10-K race pace, or 30 seconds slower per mile than
5-K race pace. "The key benefit of this pace is that it's fast enough to
improve your threshold for hard endurance running, yet slow enough that you
don't overload your muscles," says Daniels. The ideal duration of a tempo
run is 20 to 25 minutes.
The Exception: The exact pace is less than 20 seconds
slower per mile than 10-K race pace for faster runners and slightly more than
30 seconds slower per mile than 10-K race pace for slower runners.
24. The Long-Run-Pace Rule
Do your longest training runs at least three minutes per mile
slower than your
5-K race pace.
"You really can't go too slow on long
runs," says RW "Starting Line" columnist Jeff Galloway,
"because there are no drawbacks to running them slowly. Running them too
fast, however, can compromise your recovery time and raise your injury
risk."
The Exception: Galloway says you should run even slower on hot
days.
25. The Finishing-Time Rule
The longer the race, the slower your
pace.
How much slower? Jack Daniels and J.R. Gilbert spent years compiling a
table (see "Predict Your Performance") that shows how much you should
expect to slow down from one race distance to the next. "We did some
curve-fitting to come up with a formula that generates a pseudo-VO2-max for
each race time," says Daniels. They sweated the math; now you just need to
sweat the race.
The Exception: Terrain, weather, or how you feel on race day
could all throw off the table's accuracy.
| Predict Your Performance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Want to know how fast you should be able to run a marathon without actually running one? Look for your most recent race time in one of the columns on the left, then follow it across to your predicted marathon finish time. The chart is based on the best times from runners of various ability levels. | ||||
| 1-MILE | 5-K | 10-K | HALF-MARATHON | MARATHON |
| 4:20 | 15:00 | 31:08 | 1:08:40 | 2:23:47 |
| 4:38 | 16:00 | 33:12 | 1:13:19 | 2:33:25 |
| 4:56 | 17:00 | 35:17 | 1:17:58 | 2:43:01 |
| 5:14 | 18:00 | 37:21 | 1:22:38 | 2:52:34 |
| 5:33 | 19:00 | 39:26 | 1:27:19 | 3:02:06 |
| 5:51 | 20:00 | 41:31 | 1:31:59 | 3:11:35 |
| 6:09 | 21:00 | 43:36 | 1:36:36 | 3:21:00 |
| 6:28 | 22:00 | 45:41 | 1:41:18 | 3:30:23 |
| 6:46 | 23:00 | 47:46 | 1:45:57 | 3:39:42 |
| 7:05 | 24:00 | 49:51 | 1:50:34 | 3:48:57 |
| 7:24 | 25:00 | 51:56 | 1:55:11 | 3:58:08 |
| 7:42 | 26:00 | 54:00 | 1:59:46 | 4:07:16 |
| 8:01 | 27:00 | 56:04 | 2:04:20 | 4:16:19 |
| 8:19 | 28:00 | 58:08 | 2:08:53 | 4:25:19 |
| 8:37 | 29:00 | 1:00:12 | 2:13:24 | 4:34:14 |
| 8:56 | 30:00 | 1:02:15 | 2:17:53 |
4:43:06
|
| Source: "Oxygen Power: Performance Tables for Distance Runners," by Jack Daniels and J.R. Gilbert. | ||||
I hope you find a few of these tips helpful!
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