Running A-to-Z R is for Rookie Racing Mistakes

Welcome to another edition of Running A-to-Z where I cover a running related topic following the order of the alphabet. This week we are on letter R. R is for for Rookie Racing Mistakes. If you missed any past posts you can catch up on letters A through Q in the archives. 

I am an authority on rookie racing mistakes because I have made them all myself. Sometimes you have to make the mistakes in order to learn from them. Let's run through the what not-to-do on race day. These mistakes are not just reserved for rookies. It took me years to learn some of these lessons.

TRY ANYTHING NEW

The golden rule of racing is to not try anything new on race day. Not shoes, not that new singlet from the expo, not a new breakfast because you heard it's what Meb eats on race day. Go with what you know on race day to avoid any surprises. Those shoes could cause blisters, that tank might rub your armpits the wrong way and Meb's breakfast of champions could be the worst thing for your stomach on race day. You train for a reason. You are practicing for the big race. You already know what works for you. Don't mess with it on race day. 

START OUT TOO FAST

It took me a long time to learn to reign it in at the start line and beyond. It is so easy to run faster than you trained when you are hyped up on adrenaline. It seems everyone is going fast and you feel great, why not keep up this pace and bank some time? You can slow down later. 

Except it never works. Never. If you are trained at a certain pace you can't expect to run your race faster than you trained. You will empty your fuel tank and hit the wall. A steady pace will get you across the finish line. If you feel great towards the end can you pick up the pace in the last few miles, not the first few. 

OVERLOAD ON CARBS

It can be tempting to rationalize a large pizza and an extra serving of garlic bread the night before a race in the name of carbo-loading, but don't fall for this myth. This can cause gastrointestinal distress which can ruin a race. Yes, runners need carbs, but healthy carbs should be increased gradually in the days leading up to race day, not one giant unhealthy carb meal the night before the race.

WEAR COTTON APPAREL OR SOCKS

Just say no to anything cotton on race day or any other training day. Cotton absorbs sweat which can lead to blisters, embarrassing sweat stains and an uncomfortable racing experience. Stick to performance apparel that wicks away sweat.

NOT PLAN ENOUGH TIME BEFORE THE START

Plan on everything taking longer than you think. The porta-potty lines are long, parking can take a lot of time, the walk to the start line may be farther than you thought. You have enough on your mind on race day, you don't need the stress of showing up late. Minimize the stress by getting to the race site early. 

FORGET TO HAVE FUN

Checking your GPS watch at every quarter mile marker to make sure your on pace and putting an immense amount of pressure on yourself can suck the fun right out of race day. It's great to have goals and go for new PRs but don't forget, this is supposed to be fun! Enjoy race day! 

Have you ever made any of these mistakes? I sure have. Did I miss anything?

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Have questions? Leave them in the comments or be a part of my new series "Ask the Trainer" and have your questions answered in a future blog post.

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

Ask the Trainer: Open Invitation to Submit Your Questions

Happy Friday, Friends. If you have been following along you know that I have been working on a blog series 'Running A-to-Z' where I cover a running-related topic in the order of the alphabet. Every Monday I publish a new Running A-to-Z post. It's been a great way for me to stay inspired week after week to provide you with helpful content. I hope you have been enjoying it. 

As I worked on my weekly alphabet post I realized that after 26 weeks this series will be over. I just published Q is for Quotes -Motivational Running Quotes and only have nine shorts weeks before I reach the end of the alphabet. 

I considered running (pun intended) through the alphabet again, this time choosing a new topic for each letter, but I thought it might be more fun to answer your questions each week. 

ask the trainer

I'd love to know your fitness, strength training or running related problems or questions. What can I help you with? Each week I will choose a question and answer it in a blog post. If I use your question in a post, I will link back to your website, social media handle or you can choose to remain anonymous. 

So, friends. Tell me. What are your burning questions? I would love to help! Fill in the form below or follow this link to ask your questions.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I can't wait to start answering your questions. 

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

TRY THIS BOSU BALL LOWER BODY TABATA WORKOUT

Hi, friends. Welcome to another edition of Workout Wednesday! Last week I told you about how I was nursing an arm/shoulder injury that is preventing me from lifting any weights or even running. 

I decided that I would focus on what I could do instead of what I couldn't do and return to the basics. While I am on a temporary hiatus from weight lifting and running, I am working on balance and stability which is the foundation of any good workout program, especially for runners. 

I have a (affiliate link) BOSU ball in the ShredShed that has been collecting dust. I've always loved my BOSU ball I just hadn't made the time for it lately in my strength training routine. Now with my arm injury, I have all the time in the world for it. 

I put together this lower body BOSU Tabata-style workout. It is great for runners because it challenges the core, works the glutes and includes some lateral movements. You can complete the whole workout in 25 minutes. Don't have a BOSU? No problem. You can do the workout without one.

I like the Tabata-style workout because you move in a circuit fashion which keeps the heart rate up for a cardio and strength workout all in one. 

TABATA-STYLE

Try downloading a free Tabata app in the app store for an easy free timer. I use a GymBoss timer it makes it so easy to set varying interval times. Here is how it works:

Round 1

Exercise 1: 20 seconds

10 seconds rest

Exercise 2:  20 seconds

10 seconds rest

Exercise 1: 20 seconds

and so on...for four minutes.

Rest for one minute then move on to the next round.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

Running A-to-Z Q is for Running Quotes

Welcome to another edition of Running A-to-Z. I am having a blast writing these posts each week, covering a running-related topic following the order of the alphabet. If you missed any past Running A-to-Z posts you can catch up on letters A-P in the archives. 

In these posts we talk a lot about running technique, tips and tricks, but sometimes what we need is a dose of motivation. Q is for Quotes. I've compiled a list of my top 10 favorite running quotes and even included my own at the end.

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”

— John Bingham

“Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic.”

— Tim Noakes

“I run because long after my footprints fade away, maybe I will have inspired a few to reject the easy path, hit the trails, put one foot in front of the other, and come to the same conclusion I did: I run because it always takes me where I want to go.”

— Dean Karnazes

“I don’t run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days.”

— Ronald Rook

“But I also realize that winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself.”

— Meb Keflezighi

“Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up.”

— Amby Burfoot

“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

— John Bingham

“As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are”

— Joan Benoit Samuelson

“And, finally, I run because there’s no better way to see the sun rise and set.”

— Amby Burfoot

“I started running to lose a few pounds but I ended up finding myself. I set out to change my body but instead I changed my life. ”

— Lea Genders

What is your favorite running quote? 

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Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.

Why You Should Ditch the Scale and What You Should Do Instead

You know the feeling all too well. You did great last week. You worked out hard. Really hard. You worked out even when you didn't feel like it. Your food diary was glowing with good choices. You meal prepped like a boss. You skipped the lunch out with coworkers at the burger joint, packed a salad every day and ate a balanced healthy dinner every night. You skipped the candy jar and passed on the birthday cake. You killed it! But then you stepped on the scale and the number flashing up at you seemingly wasn't reflecting all your hard work from the week. Your heart sinks. What gives? 

IT TAKES TIME

A healthy weight loss goal is 1-2 pounds per week on average over time. Any more than two pounds per week and you are likely losing muscle along with fat which can be detrimental to your metabolism. 

A 1-2 pound per week goal doesn’t mean that you should expect to lose two pounds every single week. Weight loss rarely happens in a straight line. With exercise and a small reduction in calorie intake you can probably expect to lose between 12-20 pounds in 12 week period as an average. That doesn’t mean there won’t be weeks when you don’t lose any weight or even gain a pound on the scale. The important thing is to watch the downward trend over time rather than obsessing over the number week to week. 

Practice patience and consistency. Life is not a 12 week challenge. This isn’t the Biggest Loser, this is your life. (News stories were reporting that most of those contestants put the weight back on anyway due to the unhealthy way they lost it.)

DITCH THE SCALE IF:

You focus too much on the number on the scale from week to week.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO INSTEAD:

Be consistent with your healthy habits and lifestyle changes. Focus on the process. Give it time.

WEIGHT LOSS VS. FAT LOSS

The problem with focusing too much on a goal weight is that the scale only tells one small piece of the story. A mistake that a lot of people make is that they focus on weight loss rather than fat loss. Muscle and fat weigh exactly the same, of course. One pound of fat = one pound of muscle. However, muscle is much more dense and takes up a lot less space in your body. If you are losing fat but gaining muscle, the number on the scale may stay the same, but you may wear a smaller pant size. Focus on fat loss and lean muscle gains. Alter your body compensation by exercising and eating healthful foods. 

If you lose too much weight too quickly, you are almost certainly losing lean muscle along with fat. Someone who is too focused on scale weight may be thrilled to see a lower number but the truth is that it could be a bad thing if they are also losing muscle. 

DITCH THE SCALE IF:

You are more worried about weight loss than fat loss.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO INSTEAD:

Forget weight loss and focus on fat loss. Track your fat loss progress by measuring your body fat percentage and taking body measurements. Perform weight bearing exercises to build and preserve lean muscle and do a mixture of moderate and high intensity cardiovascular exercises to burn fat.

 

NON-SCALE VICTORIES

Some people decide on an arbitrary number they want to reach on the scale and won’t be satisfied until they reach it, but you can’t bully your body into cooperating with your unrealistic goals. If we focus on fat loss and other non-scale victories then we can find success regardless of the number on the scale. How do you feel? How well are you sleeping? How do your clothes fit? How are your energy levels? How has your athletic performance improved in sports and in life? Can you carry the groceries from the car to the house without trouble? Can you chase the kids (or dogs) around the back yard or climb the stairs without getting winded? These are all non-scale victories that deserve to be celebrated. What if you had positive responses to all the above questions but your scale weight stayed the same? That would be great because it would prove that your hard work is paying off. You are now healthier, more athletic with improved body composition. 

DITCH THE SCALE IF:

You can’t see past the scale to appreciate the successes in non-scale victories.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO INSTEAD:

Keep track of non-scale improvements as diligently as you are watching your scale weight.

In the end the number doesn’t matter. It’s great to have fat loss goals and fitness goals, but picking a number that you think you should weigh and then going after it by any means necessary is unhealthy. A healthier alternative is to learn to love movement, healthy foods and find joy in the process and see where it takes you.

People who have a healthy relationship with the scale should continue to use it as one of the many tools they use to track progress. However, if you struggle with scale or become obsessed or discouraged with your scale weight, then I recommend you ditch the scale and never look back. 

Any of this sound familiar? Any questions? Let me know in the comments. 

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Would you like help losing fat and building muscle? Check out my personal training services page. 

Coach Lea

I am a NASM personal trainer and RRCA adult distance running coach that specializes in strength training for runners. I offer in-person training in the Shredshed, online training and Fit to Run bootcamps. If you are interested in a more in-depth running or strength training plan, please contact me. Have questions? I'd love to help. 

While I am a certified personal trainer, I am not your personal trainer. Since I don't know your exercise abilities, injury background or medical history, please see your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.