Race Smarter to the Finish Line

SNAPSHOT

Tune up for your next race by reading my latest Adirondack Sports Magazine article.

DIGGING DEEPER

Sports are a strategic game. Knowing more strategies to positively position yourself within the race helps to outwit competitors or even yourself. The racing experience becomes deeper and more intriguing when race strategies are employed. After 16 training years and over 250 races ranging from 400 meters to half marathons, I have gathered a few gems to share with you. When asked to imagine a calming location, often people place themselves on an ocean’s beach. I place myself on the center turf of an outdoor track meet with the hot sun shining down on me as I stretch and listen to the fans cheer.

UPhill

Tangents

1/2 secret mile

Plus 8 more tips to improve your racing experience and finish time!

Read Race Smarter to the Finish Line

SOLUTION

Hint: Smile! It so works!

Mental Failure?

SNAPSHOT

90% mental

DIGGING DEEPER

Racing brings out the good and bad, revealing inter beliefs and fears.

Last August, ten grassy miles of trails set out a challenge for a small group of runners.  Since I have run my fair share of races my initial start was natural and consistent with the projected effort and pace. 

After the beginning three miles, I stopped to wipe off the mud from the bottom of my shoes on a rock.  Then waited a couple of seconds for the man running close behind me to catch up.  I had heard his footsteps and breathing for the last two miles.  We were far enough into the race that there was no one near.  The faster men had a few minutes on us and the rest of the race was somewhere far behind us.  We quickly made acquaintances, realizing that we were both new Minnesota residents.  Having someone to chat with, the next two miles went by faster. 

At the 5 mile turn around there was water and snacks.  I drank a cup of water, which I later regretted because I run best with no liquids in my stomach.  It was delightful to have 30 seconds to forget that this was a race and reflect on the beauty of the Midwest prairies.

Photo Credit due to Kirk Nelson

Reality snapped us back into the race and off we flew.  At that point, my race companion chose to push the pace for a mile or two, while I hesitated since this was my first "long run" distance since moving to Minnesota.  Within a minute I crossed paths with the second and third place women. 

Now, I did not select this race in order to win.  I just wanted a reason to be covering miles and some company for a long run. 

Like often happens in races when you are in the top few spots, especially in the races that are of an out and back nature, the other racers call out what place you are in.  This can be very helpful if you are competitive and desire to take the win.  However, for someone that is afraid that she will blow up after seven miles and is not use to dirt and grass trail running, the exclaims of "first woman" coming from each oncoming male runner, can heighten the pressure. I am sure they wished for the ranking to be encouraging but in reality, it compounded my concern. 

I was afraid of failing, afraid of losing.  I certainly did not enter the race with a goal of winning. Far from it, I was just hoping to finish in a respectable time.

Photo Credit due to Kirk Nelson

My race companion had surged ahead of me and so I was left alone to battle the wet foot high grass, few ruts, and rolling hills.  I sank deeper and deeper as my mind worked myself into a failure attitude.  I kept looking behind myself for the 2nd place woman to seal my fate.  On a steep uphill, I let myself walk, feeling hopeless.  I even considered quitting the race just so that I could avoid failure.  I had convinced myself that she was stronger and fitter and would soon conquer. 

At about 7.5 miles as I crested another hill, a thought surfaced. "I could get a second wind and be able to finish the race strong." This was a fact that was derived from dozens, perhaps hundreds, of experiences. I knew the feeling of fatigue and then the sudden rush of energy that could spring up during an extra long or difficult workout or race.  It was a proven fact that I couldn't argue with. It was a hope that I could believe in. 

All of a sudden I was strong and unstoppable. I imagined not letting go of my lead and possible win.  I was strong. I wanted to win. I would fight for it. Like a flip of a switch, I had dismissed my doubts and embraced the opportunity in front of me. I looked forward, pushing my pace forward. I was back to having fun racing, smiling, and taking in the beautiful sights.

It happens that the second place woman never caught up to me and I never had to battle her for a win.  I did, however, battle myself and clearly won.  

In irony, the second place woman, Stacy, became my running friend and continues to challenge me on trails each week.  However, I prefer to follow her lead.

SOLUTION

Winning the mental game is the real win. Count yourself as a winner!

Press Play

SNAPSHOT

PODCASTS = Top Platform for gathering knowledge on running and life!

DIGGING DEEPER

Since 2013 PODCASTS have enlightened, informed, entertained, and challenged me as a runner. Some of my top reads have come from podcast author interviews. The relaxed nature allows for the conversations in the podcast to be realistic and eye-opening. The FREE aspect gives me the opportunity to sample different tenants of our sport. I have learned so much about ultrarunning, strengthening, training connections of different sports, psychology, injury, running form, the health of the Track and Field sport, coaching, etc...

Here are the sports mainstays that fill my queue and ears.

The Strength Running Podcast

Endurance coaching topics with many author interviews

The GAINcast

Old school coaching meets innovative theory

Magness & Marcus on Coaching

The insides of elite coaching and the sport of Track and Field/ Cross Country

Trail Runner Nation

Ultrarunning conversations galore, you will think you are on a long run with friends

The Rich Roll Podcast

In-depth interviews on life and endurance running

I navigate through the recent episode lists finding those that appeal to me. Often listening to them in the background of my run, drive, or housework.

SOLUTION

Download your device's Podcast app and press play.

Question for YOU

What podcasts do you recommend?

Surprising Race Strategy

SNAPSHOT

Slow down in the middle of your race.

DIGGING DEEPER

Yes, one of my successful strategies has been to SLOW DOWN in the middle of a race.  I know that sounds crazy, mixed up, and the opposite of normal racing advice.  However, sometimes it works well, very well.

I will give you an example from a recent race in which my finish time was saved from disaster by slowing down.

(Pacing times will be given in the example. I am reluctant to reveal these times because they may distract from the story as they may seem too fast or too slow.  However, the times help to illustrate the strategy.)

On Labor Day, I toed the line at a USATF Minnesota 10K championship race.  There was plenty of fast women steps, actually minutes, ahead of me, which was awesome to witness. I was only in the race to jump start my fall training and get my body accustomed to the feeling of tempo paced pain.  

Knowing that I wasn't prepared well or rest properly, I planned to start out at a 6:45-mile pace. Then if all went well I would drop the pace as I went, getting faster per mile.  

After starting out on pace, I was mentally struggling to keep the 6:45 pace at the 3-mile mark.  Since it was an out and back course, the back seemed daunting and way too long to bear. I felt I only needed to slightly slow down to a 7:00-mile pace in order to continue racing to the finish line.  

It was crushing to have about five women pass me as I backed off the pace, yet I knew my mind and body needed the break.  I hovered at 6:55 pace for miles 4 and 5.  Backing off just 10 seconds per mile made a world of a difference in my body's stress level.  I only lost about 20 seconds for the much-needed reprieve.

Then with a mile to go, I sensed the finish line ahead and a renewed eagerness to compete against the women around me.  I poured on the speed and focused on the finish line.  Driving my arms and legs to reach each of the women who had passed me during my "slow down" miles. Twenty meters before the end, I overcame the woman who had paced with me during the first three miles.  

So what was my average per mile time for the entire race? 6:45. Yes, I still averaged 6:45 when calculated from the finish time.

Most of all, I felt successful.  I ran my race the way my body and mind desired.  

The popular and correct advice is to run even splits, each mile being run at the same pace. However, we are not machines, elite athletes, or always at our highest fitness.

We need variability to work through our weaknesses and use our strengths.  I was weak at holding a hard tempo pace for 6 miles. I was strong at pressing hard the last mile and overcoming my nearby opponents.

My Labor Day race success came from listening to and knowing my body.  Sometimes we need to slow down, speed up, calm down, or challenge ourselves.  This takes practice. Not just practice during our average daily run but during races, hard workouts, and near competitors.  Be aware of how your body is handling the running stress. Try different responses to high levels of stress.

During my 800 meter repeats this morning I noticed my face tight with a locked jaw. Releasing the tension from my face, shoulders, and arms helped my jaw to relax. My demeanor changed and I was not struggling anymore but moving in a smoother motion as I finished out the repeats.

SOLUTION

Listen to your body and use your strengths. Slowing down may be just the strategy you need to employ in order to finish the race strong.

Book Review- Your Best Stride

SNAPSHOT

4/5 stars for the book Your Best Stride: How to Optimize Your Natural Running Form to Run Easier, Farther, and Faster- With Fewer Injuries by Jonathan Beverly (Former Running Times Editor)

DIGGING DEEPER

This gem was found while listening to the Strength Running Podcast by Jason Fitzgerald.

First, as a library loan, I realized this synopsis of all things running form related would need to be highlighted, referenced, and snapshotted for years to come.  Quickly Amazon delivered it to my door so that I could delve into it further with highlighter and living room floor at hand, highlighter for all the details and floor for all the practicing.  

This book has realistic exercises and tips on all parts related to form for runners to turn words into actions.

 
Backing up now, YBS refers to many other authors and experts that I have gleaned good insight from in the past.  What is great about this book, however, is the weaving of knowledge and practical application from many experts. The author doesn't have the experts rival each other's opinion but lets them complement each other.   Thus making the flow of the topics clear and concise. Love it!

 
This is why I recommend the book to you.  It is like 6 books in one!  I devoured it on Sunday evening.  Often trying out the different stretching or strengthening examples in between soaking up the information.

So what did I gain from this 200 page cumulated expert form guide?

ONE --- I knew it all along. I told my training partners during my first injury in my foot as an adult runner that it was coming from the hips.  Something is not right in my hips.  I knew it before the research was screaming it.  Yes, your running injuries are most likely from tightness or weakness in your hips.  

TWO --- YBS did not suggest a long protocol that would take 1 hour of daily devotion.  It suggested to pick from several options and BE CONSISTENT.  Surprise, I agree too.  Primarily because my experience says consistency and program flexibility works!

THREE --- Your arms matter.  Your posture, arm carriage, and shoulder mobility all impact your stride and running form.  After saving my legs but sacrificing my shoulder in a fall a few years ago, my stride was messed up until my shoulder was healed and mobile again. 

Many more points were made in the book and I am sure you will find yourself quoting and using the advice. I know I will be sharing them with my athletes! 

So why only 4 out of 5 stars? Videos, I want videos of the stretches and strengthening exercises. I like to see the movement.  Hence why I was on my living room floor testing out each move. Curiosity caught my 13-year-old cross country runner, as he joined in with me.

Checking out the iPod game posture to see how the curling forward of the upper body can shorten our chest muscles and limit our shoulder's range of motion.

SOLUTION

There are several reasons I had an awesome workout today (4x800 intervals), but one of them has to be the gained knowledge from reading YBS last night.  I stretched my hip flexors, ran tall, drove my arms back, and powered with my gluts.  Thanks J. Beverly!

P.S. I gain nothing financially from this book review. I am just a runner that found a book and gave it 4 stars!