Wednesday March 17, 2010
Spring starts this weekend, and I'm already seeing a few signs of the season -- flowers popping up, buds on trees, runners wearing shorts. The spring racing season will also be heating up soon, and there are lots of local road races to choose from. Here's how to find road races near you.
If you've been too nervous to attempt a road race until this point, check out these tips for overcoming your fears. And if you decide to go for it, here's a beginner 5K training schedule for runners or a 5K schedule for run/walkers.
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Monday March 15, 2010
This weekend we had torrential downpours, high winds, and temperatures in the low 40s - not exactly ideal running conditions. Yet nearly 60 runners on the running team I coach showed up for our group long run on Saturday morning, ready to battle the elements and go the distance (some up to 20 miles).
The majority of people would think that those runners were out of their minds for running in those conditions. I don't think they're crazy - I know they're motivated, and for the right reasons.
A recent article in the Los Angeles Times cites that an estimated 10% to 15% of L.A. Marathon registrants never complete the race. Some give up during the marathon itself and others don't show up because they didn't train. As the writer explains, often the problem is that their motivation for doing a marathon was something external, such as impressing their friends. That type of motivation won't sustain you through months of training. To stick with it and get to that finish line, you need to have some internal motivation, such as love of running or the feeling of accomplishment that you get from finishing a run or race.
There are so many great reasons to run and train for a big race, such as a marathon. And most people will have a few external reasons, such as weight loss or bragging rights, for running and taking on huge challenges. Even if you started running for pure external reasons, that doesn't mean you can't find more intrinsic reasons to run, such as running in honor of a loved one or running because it gives you a sense of pride. Because to get out there on those soggy mornings, your motivation has to go beyond wanting that shiny marathon medal.
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Friday March 12, 2010
So how are your New Year's Resolutions going? Do you remember what you wanted to accomplish this year? If you've already given up on your resolutions, don't worry, you're in good company. Lack of motivation and time are the biggest reasons why people let their exercise goals get pushed aside. And if running more was among your resolutions, your plans may have been seriously derailed by the tough winter we've experienced in the U.S.
Spring is coming soon, and the start of a new season is a great opportunity to revisit your goals. If you're hoping to lose weight or get in decent shape by the summer, you still have plenty of time. Check out these tips to get motivated and back on track:
And if you're a beginner runner and one of your goals is to run your first race this year, check out these training schedules:
Tuesday March 9, 2010
If you're a morning runner, it's tempting to skip breakfast because you want to maximize your sleep time and not have to wake up early enough to give yourself time to digest before running. Even runners who don't run in the morning sometimes make the mistake of skipping breakfast because they don't have time, they don't like breakfast foods, or they're trying to lose weight.
Why is skipping breakfast a big nutrition mistake? If you wait until lunch to eat, your body assumes you're fasting and responds by slowing your metabolism. So skipping breakfast won't help your weight loss efforts. You'll just get hungrier, which increases your temptation to eat everything in sight. A nutritious breakfast gets you fueled for the day and helps prevent you from binging later on.
Eating breakfast means you'll have a better chance of burning off those calories because you're consuming them early in the day. And a nutritious breakfast will actually help you burn more calories during your runs because you'll be properly fueled to run stronger.
If you find you just don't have time to eat breakfast because you're rushing around in the morning, try some of these ideas for eating a healthy breakfast at the office.
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