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March 2008 Issue #002 In This Issue: Welcome to the February 2008 edition of Distance Running News. In this newsletter, you will find running tips and advice to help you run at your best! Note: You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription. Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter. (Your email address or personal information will never be given out or sold to anyone else, ever.) 1. Why Should We Have A Running Coach? Why should we have a running coach? How many times have we asked ourselves that question? As runners we tend to simply go out and run. However, to be competitive, better our times, qualify for Boston or out-kick John who has beaten you in the last 10 races, we need an edge. Wouldn't it be easy to know every week what workouts we have to do to accomplish our goals? A coach will give you the appropriate workouts for the event you are training for. This will let the runner concentrate on the running and training. The coach has technical knowledge and experience. Every day, there are new research studies about different training methods being published. With this information, a coach can create the best possible workouts for you. Add to this his/her experience and the coach can create the best training plan for you. Creating these workouts is part science and part experience. Coaches can provide motivation, inspiration, information, support and empathy. We all like to hear, "You can break 3:30 in the marathon. Look at that last long run you did and how you felt..." Most coaches have a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of running, from injuries to shoes. That information can go a long way. When the runner has a disappointing race, it's nice to have an understanding ear and constructive feedback. 1. How long have you been coaching? The answers you receive will tell you a lot. Something else a runner has to be able to discuss with his coach is his/her life style. If a runner says, "On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have ballet and on Saturdays my son plays basketball", the coach should be flexible and work with their schedule. A runner should also be able to talk with the coach about his diet. The last point and one of the most important is that a runner must have a high comfort level with his coach. Running is a lifestyle, and a runner must feel at ease sharing their lifestyle with his coach. The runner must believe that their coach can and will guide and give them the tools and training that will enable them to reach their goals. Open communication is vital. There must be a comfort level where the runner expresses himself and the coach does the same. Find that coach; then go and out-kick John... 2. Motivational Quote "Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle - when the sun comes up, you'd better be running." - Unknown 3. Monthly Running Tip - Franc Karpo No matter what level of runner you are at, most of us want to improve and race our best. Of course to achieve this... it requires, 'doing the work'. We must work hard, but it's important to make sure that running is not 'all work' or burn-out is very possible. Look for ways to make your running fun. Don't get stuck in a rut. Some of the things I've done when I feel myself going through a boring stale phase include: 1. I'll mix things up by running one of my routes in reverse. One of the coolest runs I had in the past few months was a spontaneous trail run at night with a headlight! A very surreal experience! 4. Coaches Forum Every month coach Reno will answer questions about running, training, diet, racing, etc. To submit your question, simply Click Here To Ask The Coach. Coach Reno: "Weight training is the typical method. Doing a well rounded upper and lower body workout. I also like to add some running specific exercises. There is also plyometrics, core exercises, and yoga, just to name a few. Age is a big factor, and for the runner over 40 runner weight training will help maintain your speed." 5. The DRT Runner Of The Month is... Shannon has great progress in just a few months of training with Distance Running Tips. She knocked 2.5 minutes off her 5K time. She's doing the work and reaping the benefits. Congrats Shannon! 6. New Runners We'd Like To Welcome Reno and I would like to welcome the following people to our rapidly expanding running family... Doug Berger - Tokyo, Japan 6. Personalized On-Line Coaching For info about how our coaching can help you achieve maximum running fitness: Run smart and with your heart!
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