How To Train For Your First Race

The Olympic games are in full swing and watching the pinnacle of athletic ability from the comfort of your couch may be lighting some inner fires to start setting training goals for yourself. Well, if one of those goals is running-related, signing up for a race is the best way to keep yourself motivated and accountable.

Nobody knows this more than US Olympic distance runner Jared Ward, who is in Rio right now anxiously waiting for his shot at the podium in the men’s marathon final on August 21. We spoke to the GLUKOS athlete as he was gearing up for his travels down to the Olympic Village and asked him to provide tips on training for your first race. (And we also got running coach Matt Wilpers to design an eight-week 10K training plan for you.)

Take Time To Unplug

We get it, sometimes it’s hard to even think about running without music. But Ward is a firm believer that your runs should be your time with your thoughts. “My runs are my think time, I enjoy just feeling free for an hour or two, says the marathoner and statistics professor. “Sometimes I am sorting out statistical problems, sometimes I’m dreaming about crossing the finish line at the Olympic Games and having a gold medal put around my neck, but most of the time I kinda just enjoy my numb-to-the-world time.

Run Conservatively

If you’re running your first race, your endorphins will be soaring and you’ll find yourself running 30 to 60-second splits faster than your goal race pace, which isn’t sustainable long-term. “When you get to the start line, go out a bit conservatively, says Ward. “Going out a bit slow is not going to hurt you nearly as much as going out a bit too fast will.

Take Your Nutrition Seriously

Your body is only as good as the fuel you put in. “I try to really push the vegetables. They give you nutrition, and when I fill up on veggies I’m less likely to gravitate towards foods with a higher inflammatory response (sugars, processed foods, etc.), says Ward. “I work on managing myself with proteins and good fats and timing carbohydrates well to aid recovery and energy. I eat roughly 3000 calories a day when I’m in peak training. As for the days leading into the marathon, I shift away from fats and towards carbohydrates. I don’t eat a lot the night before because I want my GI tract empty on race morning.

Plan Ahead

So you’ve picked a race. Bravo! But, preparation comes down to far more than being able to run the distance of the race. Here are insider tips to help you prep for the big day:

  • Study the course: Have a strong understanding of the elevation and where the inclines and declines are going to appear.
  • Climate: Is it traditionally hot, humid, cold, windy? Train in similar conditions as much as possible so your body suffers the least amount of shock on race day.
  • Gear: What are you wearing? What nutrition sources are you taking with you? How are you carrying all this? Have you trained in your full race gear before race day?
  • Start Time: Get there at least an hour before. The bathroom lines are usually horrendous and you’ll definitely have a case of the “nervous pees" and want to go multiple times before the race starts.

Set Goals

There’s a great saying that goes, “goals are dreams with deadlines. This is so true. If you have a goal and a well-planned course to achieve it, you simply cannot fail. “I often look at what I've done in the past to achieve certain goals and can extrapolate what I think I'd need to do to achieve future goals, says Ward.

One goal you can set right now is finding a local 10K (6.2 miles) to sign up and train for. This provides a challenging distance if you're a beginner runner – but totally attainable with the right preparation and planning. We caught up with Matt Wilpers, RRCA certified running coach and founder of CoachCasts, to map out the best way to train for your first 10K race – and maybe even inspire you to try for a half-marathon after.

"[When it comes to 10K training,] many people often forget key components such as strength and cross training, stretching and foam rolling, and doing solid warm-ups, says Wilpers. “I always tell my athletes to think of their bodies like high-performance race cars. You can run it hard, but if you do not properly maintain the race car, it will soon not function correctly and you will be on the sidelines.

Wilpers put together a beginner's eight-week training guide that will help you run your first 10K.

Keep in mind the best way to properly optimise your training is to invest in a quality fitness tracker you can connect to a social app like Strava to log all of your sessions and also engage with other athletes. Here are our top fitness tracker picks:

1. Garmin Fenix 3 HR

Garmin

The original Fenix3 was utter perfection in terms of being a GPS-enabled training watch suitable for every activity – from running to swimming to biking and hiking. But one feature that was missing for many users was a built-in heart rate monitor – strapping a sensor around your chest and syncing it was cumbersome and useless from a multi-sport perspective. This new version of the watch allows you to measure your heart rate while computing metrics such as running dynamics with vertical oscillation and vertical ratio, VO2 max, and more. Oh, and it looks sexy too.

2. TomTom Spark

TomTom

This moderately-priced and customisable watch allows you to carry up to 500 songs with you. Sync a pair of Bluetooth-enabled headphones with it for a lightweight and comfortable run. The Spark also includes features such as an activity tracker, heart rate monitor and different modes for indoor running/cycling (remember what Wilpers said about cross-training?).

3. Fitbit Surge

FitBIt

This tracker is a great bargain for the functionality it boasts. Its GPS tracking feature allows you to see distance, pace, split times and elevation while the PurePulse Heart Rate system lets you monitor your body's cardiovascular effort. You can also track your steps on a daily basis and compare (read: compete) with your friends to see who is the most active. The watch can be synced with your phone so you can change songs or even view text messages on the go.

4. Polar V800 HR

Polar

The Polar V800 includes fast and accurate GPS functionality, allowing you to see your speed, distance, and route. You can actually create and customise profiles for different sports and get the data you need to train effectively in each one.If you're a data nerd, you can track your long-term progress and get finish time predictions for your future runs.



Via : https://shoes-men-boots-info-guides.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why Open Relationships Dont Work

There’s no worse feeling out there than laying in your bed alone knowing your girlfriend is sleeping over at another guy's house. Trust me, open relationships aren’t for everyone. Like many people in their early 20s, I fell into my open relationship by way of a girlfriend who cheated on me and wanted our love to last. I was 20 years old, totally naive, and driven by the idea of appearing adult; all I had was my little apartment in the North End of Boston and a controlling girlfriend who gave me a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome. We had been together since the end of high school and her method of dictating my life was the only way I knew how to do things. During winter break, in which she was home, she cheated on me and tearfully admitted it a month later. I was brokenhearted, but as determined as she was to keep the relationship going. At the time, I thought she was the one and would stop at nothing to make sure we lasted. She suggested opening ourselves up to other pe...
Read more

How Whey Protein Can Improve Your Appearance

Whey proteins are essential to achieving your strength goals. They’ve become part of our daily nutritional diet, feeding the body with key nutrients that refuel and repair muscle tissue after intense workout sessions. And while the best powdered proteins deserve some credit for your hot gym photos - you might want to turn on Selfie Mode and take notice of the many beauty benefits that have come from guzzling these protein-infused supplements. Let this sink in: You’re entire body is made of protein. Eyes. Hair. Skin. Vital organs. Even hormones. That means a solid intake of these large biomolecules shall warrant some of the amazing health and skincare perks you’re accustomed to basking in from the coveted grooming products found in your bathroom. Since studies show whey protein to be the best and most effective source of protein, what better time to log into your Bodybuilding.com account and fill up the shopping cart. Read up on the alluring ways whey protein can embellish your l...
Read more

Treadmill Workouts for Runners: Sprinting Workouts to Boost Endurance

Whether you are looking to enhance your running performance or you are just looking for an intense workout that will blast fat and boost your metabolism, interval sprinting workouts are an amazingly efficient way to kick your own butt on the treadmill with minimal time spent at the gym. Increasing running speed or endurance doesn’t require hours on the treadmill. It doesn’t even require that you push yourself to the brink of your own physical condition limits through the entire routine. Sprinting intervals are a fantastic and efficient tool for runners that will provide the most gains in the least amount of time. Treadmill Interval Workout: Minutes 1 – 5: Warm up; aim for a speed between 3.5 and 4.2 mph 6 – 8: Jog; roughly 5.5 to 6.5 mph 8 – 9: Sprint; push yourself to run at the max of your comfortable speed; 6.5 to 12 mph 9 – 11: Jog; slow back down to a jog to recover for next sprinting interval 11 – 12: Sprint 12 – 14: Jog 14 –...
Read more