When Do I Run At Race Pace?

As summer draws to a close, many runners are in the heat of their fall marathon race training. Cooler temps and decreasing humidity are being celebrated. The tempo runs, intervals, and hill workouts are in full swing, and the really long runs have begun.

Many training plans have runners running short-n-easy, long-n-slow, and hard-n-fast. The shorter easy runs keep the weekly mileage base strong. The slow long runs build endurance as you acclimate to longer and longer distances. The speed work builds power, increases VO2Max and pushes out that lactate threshold. 

So begs the question, “When do I get to run at race pace?”  There are some great opportunities to let you body experience race pace running throughout your training.  Here are a couple of options: 

Weekly Tempo Run: I have my runners run a weekly tempo run. They begin at 4 miles and every three weeks increase the distance by one mile. For the three weeks at a particular distance, they do three different types of tempo runs—traditional tempo, tempo intervals, and a race-pace tempo. Each type begins and ends with a 1-mile easy warm-up/cool-down. The miles in between are run at the specified tempo pace. A traditional tempo pace is run 30seconds slower than 5K race pace. Tempo intervals rotate between 5-minutes fast (20 secs slower than 5K race pace) and 5-minutes slow (about 30 seconds slower than marathon race pace). The race-pace tempo is run at marathon race pace. So, during their 18-week training, they experience three different types tempo runs at 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 miles before they begin to taper down the last three weeks. These longer race-pace tempo runs are great for helping you guage your race-pace speed. 

The Long Run: Traditionally the long run is run about 1-minute slower than marathon race pace. The long run slow pace..... 
To read the rest of my race-pace running tips go to Active.com.

CEP Running Progressive Compression Socks: Maximize Performance and Recover Quicker Too!

I've been a big believer in compression socks for several years now. My brand of choice is CEP Socks. I've mainly used them for recovery from regular long runs as well as to help rebound quicker from injury. Next to an ice bath, there's nothing I've tried after a long hard run that helps me recover and rebound quicker than compression socks.

After that long hard run, I'll slip on my compression socks for a couple of hours and it really does the trick. About a year ago, I experienced a severe calf cramp during a run. Had to hobble a mile back to my car. The rest of that week, each night before going to bed, I slipped on my compression socks and slept in them. Helped me recover much quicker than not wearing them. I was back to running in a few days.

So how do they work? Basically, it's your grandmother's support hose gone techno! Seniors have been experiencing the benefits of compression hosiery for decades. It helps with circulation in the extremities. Compression socks for runners and other athletes work on the same premise.

The CEP Compression Sportsocks support the arteries and the supply of oxygen to the musculature. The special and patented compression of the CEP Compression Sportsocks increases the ambient pressure. As a result the musculature in the arterial wall relaxes and a relaxed musculature increases the arterial diameter and consequently the blood flow through the arteries.

So what does all of this mean? An increase in performance. CEP reports that when wearing the socks, it's possible to reduce the running time by about 5% (i.e., about 12 minutes from a 4hr marathon). They also report that the socks help to provide an easier run because exertion is reduced by about 6% for the same running time since the muscles have to work less. And best of all (in my opinion), they provide for a quicker recovery.

They're also a great way to keep your kids in line. I threaten mine all the time that if they don't behave I'll wear my compression socks with dress shoes and a pair of Bermuda shorts the next time I pick them up from school. (He He!)

Back in 2009, I tested and reviewed the new CEP Compression Running Sock. Loved it. So, when they recently came out with the new Running Progressive Compression Sock, I had to test it out too. Basically it does all that the original sock does, but it has a slick new design. I tested the Progressive sock on runs as well as for recovery after some long runs. As with the original sock, the Progressive gave me an extra supportive feel on the runs and aided in a quick recovery.

The new CEP Running Progressive Compression Socks definitely get 5 Dudes out of 5 Dudes on the RunnerDude Rating Scale.Be sure to check out all the CEP Sock styles for running as well as other sports at http://www.sportsocks.com/. CEP Socks is a part of a bigger family of foot related websites with Aleva Stores. Check it out. Cool Stuff! Also, be sure to check them out on Twitter.

Note: While CEP Socks did provide a pair of the Progressive socks for me to test and evaluate, I was not in any way encouraged to write a positive review, nor was I paid for writing this review. This review is based on my own personal experience using the product.

To Eat or Not To Eat? That's Often the Question.

Just recently I had an email from Brad, a reader of the blog, about fueling during the long run. Then this past weekend, one of the runners in my half-marathon training group, Amy, had a similar question about fueling your run. "To eat or not to eat?" is often top of mind for runners. Or probably even more accurately, "What to eat or what not to eat?"

For those of you hoping for a definitive answer, I'm sorry to disappoint. There are so many factors involved—likes, dislikes, allergies, digestive tolerance, and on and on. What works for one runner may have another runner praying to the porcelain god (or more accurately the plastic port-a-john god) the entire run.

There are however, some good rules of thumb to follow. The first rule of thumb is "Test well in advance." It's best to try new foods when you're not in training. If you are training, it's best to test new things early on so you'll know well in advance what's going to work and not work. When you're in your local GNC or Vitamin Shoppe two weeks before the big race, fight hard the temptation to try something new. Better yet, just don't even go in until after the race. Ask your wife, husband, significant other, sister, brother, mother, the guy on the corner, somebody to pick up what you need. Same thing goes for the natural foods. Stick to what you know works when it's close to race day. And the biggest warning of all...Avoid the "Try me! Try me!" barking of the sales reps at the marathon expo. Although the marathon expo can be an exciting place the day before the race, try really hard to avoid much (if any) taste-testing. You never know what may throw your tum-tum for a loop!

Okay, I've rambled on enough. Sorry, it's the dad in me (as well as being the son of a preacher) feeling the need to give a little sermon on the dos and don'ts of pre-race eating. Here's the info you're really wanting to know.

Pre-run Fueling: Fueling before a long run should actually start the day before. Make sure your snacks and meals the day before your long run are comprised of complex carbs (vegetables, whole grains, etc.). In doing so, you’ll maximize your glycogen stores. Glycogen is the main source of energy for your long runs. When completely full, your glycogen stores have will provide enough energy for about 2hrs of running (~2000 calories). Some runners will tell me, "I ate breakfast before my long run, but I still bonked." There could be several things at play which caused the "bonk", but more than likely, even though they ate breakfast, if their glycogen stores were not full, the breakfast they did eat would only take them so far. Fueling is a continuous thing, especially when you're in training.

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The pre-run meal the day of your long run is important too. What you eat before an endurance run can greatly impact your performance. No food or too little food before a long run can result in fatigue. It can also cause you to burn more muscle which can result in injury. Lots of runners don't eat prior to a run because they fear the dreaded upset stomach. But not eating before a long run can result in a less than stellar run. Just like you train to increase your mileage, you need to train your body to eat something prior to running. What you eat and how much will vary from runner to runner. You don't need a heavy breakfast, but a combination of carbs and protein is a good plan.

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Eating prior to a run will give your body some fuel to use before having to use its reserves (those glycogen stores I mentioned earlier). If you start off using your reserves too soon and they get depleted, fatigue will soon follow as well as the dreaded "bonk." Fat is needed and is important in the absorption of nutrients, but avoid eating high-fat foods before a long run. These foods take longer to digest and will make you feel like a slug and may even cause you to feel nauseous on your run. For some runners it’s also good to avoid complex carbs right before a run. Yep, normally I’d be telling you to make sure your diet is rich in complex carbs, but for some runners, eating them shortly before a run can cause cramping because it takes complex carbs longer to digest. So, it’s okay to save the whole-wheat pasta for the dinner the night before and eat eat some white bread or other form of simple carb in the morning before your long run. Because your body will digest these foods quickly, these simple carbs will go directly to fueling the body, protecting your glycogen stores for later in the run.

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Some pre-run foods to try include:

• a bagel with peanut butter
• a waffle with peanut butter
• two graham crackers with peanut butter
• dry cereal
• a banana with peanut butter
• Greek yogurt with fruit
• Uncrustables (those little round peanut butter sandwiches with the crimped sides in the frozen foods section)
• an energy bar (check the label and make sure it's not loaded with saturated fat)
• a hard-boiled egg and toast

Keep in mind that you’ll want to avoid running on a full stomach so, you’ll need to wake up a little earlier in order to let your food digest. Eating 1.5 hrs before a morning long run is a good rule of thumb

You can train you body to use fat as a fuel source too. This can come in very handy on really long runs. Basically, running some shorter distances (4-8 miles) on an empty stomach will force your body to go to an alternate source of fuel—fat. The thinking is that if you’ve trained your body to burn fat as fuel, then during a long run, if you run low on your glycogen stores, your body will know to kick-in its fat-burning abilities. But just as I said earlier, you need to test this out well before race day. Don’t wake up race-day morning and decide not to eat anything before your 26.2-mile run so you can burn off all your fat. It ain’t gonna work for ya, and not only will the big brick wall hit ya in the face, it will land right on top of ya!

Fueling on the Run: For runs lasting more than 60 minutes, it's a good rule of thumb to take in 30-60 grams of carbohydrates every hour. Use the chart below from Runner's World to help you select some foods good for during your run. Be careful when using sports gels. There’s nothing wrong with them, but if you’re using them along with a sports drink, some may find themselves having stomach issues. Both are packed with carbs and usually the carbs are of the simple sugar variety. While your body will need to replenish is glycogen stores during the race, you don’t want overkill. Everyone is different and there’s no one cure-all, but for some carrying a bottle of water to use when taking a gel works well. Some may find that they can continue drinking only water throughout the entire run, if the gels they’re using contain carbs and essential electrolytes.

I’ve discovered that 100% coconut water contains the right amount of carbs and electrolytes for my long runs. I have problems with calf cramps and coconut water naturally has 15x the potassium of a banana and 2-3x the amount of potassium as most sports drinks. Others do better to drink water, take an electrolyte replacement tablet and then pack some pretzels, crackers, jellybeans, or Fig Newtons for their carb source. I have one running buddy that takes an Uncrustable along. Uncrustables are those little round frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crimped sides. He says it thaws on the run and by the time he needs one later in the run it’s ready to eat. Like I said, everyone is different.

Post-run Refueling: Eating 300 - 400 calories with a 4:1 ratio of carbs and proteins within 30-45 minutes after finishing your run will help ensure a quicker recovery. During a long run, you deplete your glycogen stores as well as create microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. Eating a carb/protein mixture helps to restore the glycogen and repair those tiny tears which is the muscle-building process.

Some good post-run eats include:

• a glass of low-fat chocolate milk (it has the perfect 4:1 ratio of carbs/protein)
• a bagel with peanut butter or almond butter or Nutella (I love Nutella!)
• whole wheat crackers and peanut butter or almond butter
• a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt
• baked potato with Greek yogurt
• brown rice pudding with sliced banana
• whole-grain cereal with skim milk
• lowfat yogurt and fruit
• Uncrustables

What are some of your favorite pre-, during-, and post-run eats?

Un-What-ables?

In the recent posting "Fuel on the Run," I mentioned a food called Uncrustables® as a pre-run and post-run food option. If you didn't click on the link to find out more about what this unusual suggestion was all about, you might be surprised to know that it's simply a PB&J (peanut butter and jelly sandwich).

My wife used to attend Pampered Chef® parties when they were all the rage in my town about 10 years ago. At one of the parties she bought this funny contraption that looked like some type of flower-shaped press. I asked her what it was and she said it was a fancy finger-sandwich press. Just what we needed. Something that made fancy sandwiches and wasted half the bread and taught our kids that the crust wasn't something we were supposed to eat. I think we used the press once for a birthday tea party for my daughter.

Over the next few years, I'd come across that press in the "junk" drawer and chuckle. Then one day while I was in the frozen food section of the grocery store, something caught my eye that looked a lot like those dainty little finger-sandwiches my wife made for that birthday tea party several years back. Smucker's® (the jelly and jam company) had packaged a frozen version of the same exact pressed sandwich, filled them with peanut butter and jelly, and called them Uncrustables®. I stood there dumbfounded and thought, "Dang, what a great idea." Of course I didn't tell my wife that. I bought a pack to show my wife and kids and every now and then we'd buy them for a novelty to put in the kids lunches.

It wasn't until last year that I discovered another purpose for these pressed little sandwiches: pre-, during-, and post-run fuel! Neal Leeper, a running buddy of mine, is an avid marathoner who doesn't care too much for the sports gels. He discovered from a triathlon friend of his that Uncrustables® make a great food to eat during a long run. Because the sandwiches are individually packaged and because the sandwich itself is pressed around the edges, they transport and keep surprisingly well on the run. Just pop one in a small fanny pack on your hydration belt and you're good to go. The carbs from the bread and the jam and the protein from the peanut butter make perfect fuel for a long run. They also make a great pre-run mean as well as a post-run snack.

Now I place that dainty pressed little finger-sandwich in the same category as Wite-Out®, Post-it® Notes, and the Pet Rock....Why didn't I think of that!

Fuel for The Long Run

The long run. The nemesis of the marathon runner's training plan. You either can't wait for it or you dread it depending on a lot of factors. Most runners, particularly beginning runners, know the importance of hydrating before running and after running, but proper fueling before, during, and after the run? Not so much. Runners having unsuccessful long runs often complain of nausea, fatigue (bonking), muscle cramps, or barely being able to move hours after the run. Not all, but many of these symptoms can be avoided with proper fueling before, during, and after the run.

Hydration: Proper hydration actually begins the day before a long run. You don't need to drink gallons and gallons of water, but you do need to make sure your taking in lots of fluids the day before your long run. If the well is dry, drinking 8oz. of water just before your long run, ain't gonna hack it. Water is the most important part of any run especially the long run. Runners need to consume water before, during and after the run. There's no exact prescription for hydration that fits everyone. Each person is different and your hydration needs can vary from run to run depending on how much you sweat, the temperature, and your pace. Calculating your sweat rate is a great way to get a good handle on your specific hydration needs. To begin the test, weigh yourself just before beginning a 60 minute run. Record your weight. Run. Then reweigh yourself and record the second weight. It should be less than the first. Calculate and record the difference. In addition to the weight difference, record the outside temperature and the pace of your run. Each pound lost equals 16oz. of fluids. So, if you lost 2 lbs. on your run, you'd want to hydrate about every 15-20 minutes by drinking about 6oz. of fluids on future runs under similar conditions. It's a good idea to repeat this test under various conditions and speeds so you'll know how to modify your fluid intake depending on how hot it is or how fast you're running.

Sweat Rate Test:

1. Weight before running; record the amount
2. Run for 60 minutes
3. Weight after running; record the amount
4. Calculate the difference of the two weights; record the amount
5. Each pound lost = 16oz of fluids
6. Record the temperature and pace of run

Water is good, but sports drinks help offset electrolytes lost when you sweat. They also provide fuel for your muscles. Some experts suggest carrying one bottle of water and 2-3 bottles of sports drinks in your hydration belt. Having the bottle of water can help you rid your mouth of that dry feeling often a result of many sports drinks. It's best to train using the sports drink that will be provided during the marathon unless you plan carrying your own. Never drink a sports drink during a race that you haven't used while training. You never know how your body may react to something new. If your system is sensitive to sports drinks, you may want to try taking small sips more frequently such as drinking 2oz every 10mins instead of 6oz. every 15-20mins. Again, experiment with this during a training run, not during the race. If you plan on hydrating using the water stops during the race, slowing down or walking to ensure you get in the fluids is fine. Drinking from a cup on the run is very different than sipping from your water bottle.

Food:
Before the Run: What you eat before an endurance run can greatly impact your performance. No food or too little food before a long run can result in fatigue. It can also cause you to burn more m

uscle which can result in injury. Lots of runners don't eat prior to a run because they fear the dreaded upset stomach. But eating just enough to stave off that hungry feeling isn't going to cut it, especially with many miles ahead of you. Just like you train to increase your mileage, you need to train your body to eat something prior to running. What you eat and how much will vary from runner to runner. You don't need a heavy breakfast, but a combination of carbs and protein is a good plan. Some prerun foods to try include:

• a bagel with peanut butter
• a whole-grain waffle with peanut butter
• two graham crackers with peanut butter whole-grain cereal with skim milk (FYI: test on a short run; milk doesn't set well with some runners)
• Greek yogurt with fruit
• Uncrustables
• a sports bar (check the label and make sure it's not loaded with saturated fat)

The reason you need to eat is that you want to give your body some fuel to use before having to use its reserves. If you start off using your reserves and they get depleted, fatigue will soon follow as well as the dreaded "bonk." Fat is needed and is important in the absorption of nutrients, but avoid eating high-fat foods before a long run. These foods take longer to digest and will make you feel like a slug and may even cause you to feel nauseous on your run.

During the Run: For runs lasting more than 60 minutes, it's a good rule of thumb to take in 30-60 grams of carbohydrates every hour. Use the chart below from Runner's World to help you select some foods good for during your run.

After the Run: Eating 300 - 400 calories with a three-to-one mix of carbs and proteins within 30 minutes after finishing your run will help ensure a quicker recovery. During a long run, you deplete your glycogen stores as well as create microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. Eating a carb/protein mixture helps to restore the glycogen and repair those tiny tears. Some experts support eating 50 grams of carbs within 15 minutes of finishing your run. Good post-run eats include:

• a glass of low-fat chocolate milk
• a bagel with peanut butter
• a smoothie made with fruit and yogurt
• brown rice pudding with sliced banana
• whole-grain cereal with skim milk
• Uncrustables