You have done all the hard work, sacrificed precious time and energy along the way and now race week is here. Your nerves run wild exacerbated by the taper and fewer miles. Don’t worry, here’s how to push through and keep your eyes are on the prize!
As race week inches nearer, let's take a deep breath and keep these considerations top of mind:
1) Remind yourself that the hardest work is done and you've already won! You've been consistent, remained disciplined with the "small things" and completed the workouts and miles, despite hectic schedules and every day life challenges. Congratulations - you took the journey and won! Throughout the week prior to your goal race, go through your training log and remember the hard workouts, long runs, the grit and tenacity you've shown again and again! You have built the strength inside of you that will help you push you through race weekend to the finish!
2) Relax - you deserve it! It's okay to back off your total volume. You’ve begun your tapering for this event, and you can trust our recommendations to back off your total weekly mileage while keeping some intensity on any strides/tune up workouts you have on the schedule.
3) Study up! As you approach race weekend, it can be helpful to study up on the course. If you've already done this - awesome! If you haven't - no worries! For an endurance race, you're bound to run into some changes in the course (hills, twists and turns, surface changes with sidewalks, roads, dirt, etc.). Breaking down your race into chunks and mentally preparing yourself to know when you can dig a little more on a hill or relax on some downhills can not only help with your race strategy and energy conservation, but also break up the race into chunks so it's not so daunting.
For those almost there, we're so excited for you! You're going to prove to yourself just how limitless you are.
See you at the finish line!
The early mornings, long workouts and countless miles are the engines that drive an athlete from the start to the finish line, but how do you fuel for the big day?
My name is Rosie Edwards. I am a professional marathoner from Great Britain and running coach. 
Recently, I had a fascinating conversation with a professional cycling coach. I was wanted to learn about the elite cycling world and their training. He emphasized that attention to recovery was paramount compared to the training itself.
I intuitively knew that nutrition and hydration are vital for not only competition, but for recovery into the next training session. Training at its simplest is stress, response, and adaptation. Appropriate hydration and nutrition (ie. Fueling) is paramount for the optimal response = improved fitness.
Glycogen (our body’s form of carbohydrate) is the main energy for our working muscles while it also assists in fat metabolism. In addition, glucose is the primary fuel for the brain. If the body is glycogen depleted then this can lead to physical (decreased force production, increased soreness, increased muscle weakness) and cognitive impairment.
Picture the last 10 km of a marathon when it is “go” time. If your cognitive function is impaired and your glycogen stores are depleted, responding to your competition's moves and staying engaged will certainly become a challenge.
How does fueling look for me?
Before the race and within training:
I aim for 7-10 g of carbohydrate/kg/day when in peak training. I lean towards low glycemic index or GI (slow release) carbohydrates including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and lots of oats. Low GI is my preferred choice for preparation to avoid spiking my insulin levels too drastically. However, on race day or while training, high GI is preferred for fast energy.
On my heavier training days where the marathon workouts are longer and I have an additional strength session, I will be on the upper end of consumption in order to enhance recovery. On a lighter day that does not precede a hard workout, I will aim for 7 g/kg alongside 1-1.6g/kg of protein and healthy fats.
For those who train at altitude full-time or intermittently, protein is especially important as it aids in the formation of red blood cells. When training at higher elevations for a prolonged period of time or for Sunday long runs 2g/kg per day may be beneficial.
My pre-race my routine does not alter too much:
I will try to ingest the upper limit of carbohydrates before a race. I like to take some of this in the form of a fruit juice or sports drinks rather than heavy carbohydrate-dense foods. I always consume a protein and healthy fat included the night before. Race morning is simple: oats and honey.
I have been lucky enough to work with Nuun Hydration for the last 18 months. This has been a game-changer. I hyper-hydrate 2 hours prior to my marathon by drinking 2-3 tabs in 20fl Oz of water to ensure that my electrolytes are topped up before the start. Hyper-hydration is not something I would practice daily but before a particularly hot or long workout, I will.
When deciding how many carbohydrates to take in during the race I used a breath analysis test at LEOMO to measure carbohydrate oxidation. This occurs when we burn carbohydrate for fuel.
During the race, I take 48 g of carbohydrates per hour in the form of Nuun Endurance which I mix with 24 oz of water. I aim to consume fluids ~5 km (~20 mins). This setup provides me with a perfect blend of fast-release energy and hydration in addition to topping off my electrolytes in order to eliminate the risk of cramps. I make sure to practice every new fueling strategy in each marathon buildup multiple times before race day. Our team is notorious for placing random tables around the Boulder reservoir to practice our bottle pick up and fueling. Sorry if we’ve ever blocked your car!
After the race:
Ahhh! The time we can enjoy all the foods we have missed.
Personally, I struggle for many hours after a race or hard session to ingest solid food so I always opt for a smoothie. I blend 25 g of protein powder, almond milk, spinach, frozen berries, and a banana and aim to drink it as quickly as I can. Adding a frozen component can help to decrease your core temperature and aid recovery. This provides me with 50 g of carbohydrate and 25 g of protein (2:1 ratio) immediately. I then aim to eat a good source of antioxidants, fat, and protein to decrease inflammation within an hour. Avocado, spinach, and eggs on toast was made for this.
In addition to quantity, the most important piece is figuring out which fuel will elicit the best response from your body. More carbohydrates can be digested when glucose and fructose are ingested together because they are absorbed via different routes in the intestine. However, some people have difficulty absorbing fructose. Like many ingredients in a sports drink fructose is a simple sugar known as a monosaccharide. However, if the cells on the surface of your intestines are unable to break down the fructose efficiently malabsorption occurs. Not only will your body struggle to absorb it efficiently, but you may also experience the dreaded “tempo tummy”. Nausea and headaches can also ensue. Surprisingly it affects 1 in 3 people.
If you have experienced any of these issues during training or racing it may be advisable to try some products which do not contain fructose. Nuun Endurance is a non-fructose based equivalent. It’s very much a case of trial and error but beginning an informed self-study from day one of your build-up will give you the best shot of reaching the finish line feeling great.
For more info, please don’t hesitate to reach out: rosie@runcoach.com. Happy fueling!
Let’s break some bad habits and work to create new positive routines. We often start the New Year off with the best intentions, but sometimes our priorities shift and our resolutions fade away. If this sounds like you, our hope is to help make this year different. Here are 7 quick tricks to hold yourself accountable:
We know not every goal ends in a race, so don’t worry, we got your back. Our New Goals list has been updated to better suit your training endeavors as you progress from where you are to where you want to be.
While you can still sign up using a race as your goal, these four New Goals options help you find the perfect amount of training and intensity you want in your personalized fitness program.
1-Get Started! A 12 week plan to get you moving and in a new lifestyle routine. This plan is designed to build you to 8-12 miles/wk with a 4-5 Mi. Long Run.
2-Get Faster! A 24 week plan to get you more active towards long term goals. This plan is designed to build you to 8-12 miles/wk with a 4-5 Mi. Long Run.
3-Get Fitter! A 12 week plan to get you from your current fitness to the next level. This plan is designed to build you to 18-22 miles/wk with a 7-8 Mi. Long Run.
4-Go Further! A 24 week plan to get you more miles and intensity. This plan is designed to build you to 18-22 miles/wk with a 7-8 Mi. Long Run.
Happy Running!
Sign up here!
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The Holiday season has arrived! The days are getting shorter, temperatures are dropping, snow is falling and your schedule is filling up. Are you starting to doubt that you’ll keep your fitness goals on track all winter long? We’ve got you covered! Here are some tips to maximize your training opportunities: 
It's dark. It's icy. Let's admit: It's just hard to get out the door when you instantly turn into a crystal the first few steps outside.
But you have goals to pursue, and miles to run. So, let's find the right gear and attitude, to face the worst of Mother Nature's surprises.
Protect The Head
Your head is your control center. if you head is cold, your body will be too.
Find a hat or headband to cover the majority of the head and ears.
Products with Merino wool are perfect as they breathe well, wick moisture, and resist odors.
Wrap The Core
Dress in layers and focus on the core. Think of it like a sandwich.
1-Base layer to wick sweat away that clings to your skin.
2-Then a long sleeve shirt or half zip that you can potentially even take off mid run if you get too hot.
3-Finally a windproof shell (think jacket) to be the first barrier against the elements.
Perfect The Pants
In most situations your legs only need one layer (vs the core). Choose a fleece lined legging or pants for extra warmth. You don't want your pants to be too long or loose. The closer the cloth is to your legs, the better it will keep you warm. If you are running through snow, choose some tall crew socks and tuck the bottom of your pants to the sock!
Go For Glory With Gloves
Depending on the temperature you might find that your core and legs are warm, but hands are cold. This is because our extremities are the first to feel cold and lose circulation when the body tries to warm up.
If it's mildly cold pick a thin pair of sweat wicking gloves. These are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at any apparel store.
If it's windy or below freezing, ditch the gloves for mittens. Mittens keep your finders together, better for circulating body heat. Some mittens come with a wind proof shell, perfect for running in wet winter conditions.
