Celebrate the Small Gains

Sometimes we get so caught up in the Big Picture that we forget to celebrate the small gains. It's the small weekly gains in your training that are the building blocks to that big picture. Celebrate the day you get up that big hill and you realize you're not winded. Celebrate the day you inch down a little more in your tempo run training pace range. Celebrate the day you make it to your tempo pace range. Celebrate the day you go past the longest distance you've run in your training plan. Celebrate the day you wake up and you're not sore. Celebrate the day you add a weekly core workout to your weekly running routine. Learning to celebrate the small gains along the way helps you realize the true progress you're making.

Revel Rockies Giveaway

Want to run the Rockies? You're in luck here's your chance to win a free entry to the Revel Rockies
Marathon taking place August 17, 2014.

The Revel Rockies Marathon is incredibly fast and remarkably beautiful road race takes runners from the forests and canyons of the Rocky Mountains to the foothills of Denver. Featuring a perfectly smooth downhill slope and spectacular scenery, this race will be sure to help you set your PR and finally hit that Boston Qualifying time. REVEL in speed. REVEL in beauty. REVEL in the Rockies.

Act quick! Contest closes Friday and the winner will be announced this Saturday! To enter, simply complete form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats to Winner Michele Oats!

Avoiding the Woe-Is-Me Vortex

Interesting observation....last night when I was around mile 8 in a 13-mile run, I really began to fatigue. I was
feeling every foot landing as if my feet were cement blocks. So, I began to coach myself telling myself what I tell my runners... to look up and out, not down. Engage your core. Shoulders back. Work the lean.

While looking up, I noticed some thick fancy concrete posts with wrought iron fence in between the posts that line the front of a swanky neighborhood on the route I was running.  I was curious. How many posts were there? Funny what you think of when delirium kicks in. I started counting the posts as I passed. (There are a lot of them.) Before this point, my body was giving into the fatigue slowing me to a 9:20 pace. Funny thing happened however, after counting the last concrete post, I glanced at my GPS. My pace had dropped to 8:17 and didn't even really realize it. I had shifted my focus from my concrete feet to the concrete posts.

Take away from this for me is that sometimes when we fatigue during  a run, the "woe is me" factor may be slowing us down more than the actual fatigue. My head had bought into the fatigue hook, line, and sinker. Yes, I was fatigued. I was needing hydration. But I wasn't as bad as my head was telling me. Mile 9 averaged out 14 seconds faster per mile than miles 7 and 8.

So, use those external distractions to avoid being sucked into the "woe is me" vortex. Look around, take in your surroundings. Better yet, run with a buddy. Conversation is one of he best distractions. Or if you're hard up for a distraction...count concrete posts. Worked for me!

Pick the Best Bar for the Length of Your Run

In a rush before a run? Need to eat, but don't have time to make something? Creating your own snacks is always best because you know exactly what's going into your body, but sometimes convenience trumps best practice. Best to get in some prepackaged nutrition to support your run than no nutrition at all. But which prepackaged foods are best for your different types of runs?

Below are some suggestions for prepackaged foods such as energy and protein bars wafers, waffles, and crackers. The foods are sorted by caloric needs based on the length of your run. These are not the only options for each category, but it's a good start. Always read the nutrition label to see if the calorie count of the chosen food supports the caloric needs of the run.

30-TO 60-MINUTE RUN--You need 150-200 calories

• Balance Bar (Original): Chocolate Raspberry-180 cals
• Balance Bar Dark: Chocolate Caramel Macchiato or Chocolate Crunch-180 cals
• Kind Energy Bar: 180 cals
• Fiber One Protein Bars: Trail Mix-130 cals; Oats & Chocolate or Oats & Peanut Butter-140 cals 
• Honey Stinger Waffle: Ginger Snaps, Vanilla, Chocolate-160 cals
• Honey Stinger Protein Bar: Peanut Butter-190 cals
• Honey Stinger Energy Bar: Berry Banana Buzz-180 cals; Peanut Butter’n Honey-190 cals
• Kashi Chewy Granola Bar: Chocolate Almond & Sea Salt-140 cals
• Lance: Toasty Peanut Butter Crackers-180 cals; Toast Chee Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Crackers- 190 cals
• Lara Bar: Blueberry, Carrot Cake, Apple Pie-190 cals
• Luna  Bar: Carrot Cake, Blueberry Bliss, or Nuts Over Chocolate-180 cals
• Luna Protein Bar: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough-170 cals
• Nature Valley Peanut Butter Energy Bar-190 cals
• Nutri Grain Bars: Blueberry, Raspberry, Apple Cinnamon-120 cals
• Odwalla Bars for Kids: Strawberry Score or Banana Dunk-130 cals; Chocolate Chip Kick-140 cals
• PowerBar: Energy Wafer Berry Yogurt-170 cals; Chocolate Peanut Butter-180 cals
• PROBAR Fruition: Cran-Raspberry-160 cals
• Special K Protein Meal Bars: Strawberry and Cranberry Walnut-170 cals; Chocolate Peanut Butter, Honey Almond-180 cals
• Special K Nourish Bar: Lemon Twist-160 cals

60-TO 90-MINUTE RUN--You need 200-250 calories

• Balance Bar Gold: Lemon Meringue Crunch, Chocolate Peanut Butter, or Chocolate Mint Cookie Crunch-200 cals
• Balance Bar (Original): Double Chocolate Brownie, Honey Peanut, and Yogurt Honey Peanut-200 cals
• Cliff Energy Bar: Chocolate Brownie, Apricot, Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip-240 cals
• Lance: Whole Grain Peanut Butter Crackers or Toast Chee Reduced Fat Peanut Butter Crackers-210 cals
• Lara Bar: Cherry Pie, Cherry Fruit & Nut, or Cappuccino-200 cals; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough-210 cals; Banana Bread or Peanut Butter-230 cals; Chocolate Coconut Chew-240 cals
• Odwalla: Chocolate Almond, Blueberry Swirl, or Orange Cranberry-200 cals; Chocolate Chip Peanut-230 cals
• Power Bar Performance Energy Bar: Fruit & Nut-220 cals, Chocolate or Vanilla Crips-240 cals
• Snickers Marathon Energy Bar: Chewy Chocolate Peanut-210 cals

90-MINUTE TO 2-HOUR RUN--You need 250-300 calories

• Bear Naked Energy Bar: Chocolate Chip Peanut or Almond Cranberry-250 cals
• Cliff Bar: Black Cherry Almond-250 cals; Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Crunch or White Chocolate Macadamia Nut-260 cals
• Cliff Bar Builders: Chocolate-270 cals
• Power Bar Harvest Energy: Double Chocolate Crisp-250 cals
• Snickers Marathon Protein Bar: Caramel Nut Rush-290 cals