Maine Marathon Day Tips!

With the Maine Marathon this weekend, I thought I would list some marathon race day tips to ensure success on race day.

Plan Ahead
On Maine Marathon Day, you want to know where to go. Read the marathon race day information carefully, so you know the routine and schedule for getting there, lining up and finishing. Locate the parking areas before race day. In this case, park in the garage located off Bedford St., which is the first left-hand turn off Forest Ave. after you get off Exit 6B from I-295, or use the Back Cove parking lot along Preble St. Please DO NOT park in the Hannaford Shopping Center lot, however, as that lot is reserved for store customers, and parking is also prohibit at the AAA building. If you are driving to the starting line plan your route and locate your parking areas before race day.

Check The Course Out
Knowing the race course and terrain of the Maine Marathon can help you during your race. If you know where the hills are, the location of hydration stations, spectator viewing areas and landmarks you will be able to a better job of planning your marathon race strategy. Most folks will conduct some of their training runs over the course to familiarize themselves with the terrain.

Avoid Standing, Walking or Lots Of Activity The Day Before
Try to avoid touring the city, walking, raking the yard or just standing a lot the day before your marathon. All of that activity will fatigue your legs and decrease your ability to run your best. Take in the area sites after your race and rake the yard next week, rather than before. Fresh legs will give you a better chance of running your best.

Carbo Load, But Don't Over Do It
Carbo loading is one of the things Marathoners look forward to the night before the race. Storing carbohydrates, several helpings of pasta, bread and salad, are a marathoners common pre-race meal. However, avoid over eating. All of that food can affect your sleep and make you feel sluggish on marathon morning. So, eat a normal meal of high carbohydrate foods, but don't over do it.

Prepare Your Race Gear The Night Before
Most marathons require an early start, so to avoid any marathon morning stress, lay out your race gear the night before. Singlet, shirts, tights, hats, gloves, shoes, socks, race number, etc.... The last thing you need is to be scrambling to find your race day essentials.

"Disposable" Dressing For Race Day
Always be prepared for a temperature variance and a change in weather conditions. Bring an old long sleeve shirt, warm up pants, running gloves and a hat you know you can live without. Waiting around in cool temperatures can be uncomfortable. Also, as the temperatures increase, you want the ability to discard cloths without worrying about going back and picking them up. Think of these items as "disposable". You can discard the clothing, gloves, etc... on the side of the road and volunteers will pick up them up and donate them to a charitable organization. Also bring along a large plastic trash bag. If it is raining you can cut head and arm holes in the bag and use it to keep dry.

Arrive Early
Give yourself plenty of time to get to the starting line or staging area. Congestedd traffic, parking and crowds can be stressful, if you are in a hurry, before the race. You can use the extra time to relax and prepare yourself for your upcoming marathon.

A Long Warm Up Is Not Necessary
A long warm up is not necessary for a marathon as you can use the first mile or two to get going. Running to much before a marathon will utilize valuable carbs in your body. Do some dynamic stretching drills such as high knees, heel kicks and walking lunges and jog for 5-10mins. This will loosen and warm up your muscles without burning a significant amount of carbohydrates.

Hydrate
Start your race properly hydrated by drinking water normally the night before and on race morning when you are thirsty. During the race do not drink water exclusively. Drink the electrolyte sport drink provided to help keep your blood sodium level from becoming diluted and help replace electrolytes and the carbs you are burning.

Line Up With Your Estimated Pace
One of last things you need is to be pulled along at a pace that is way ahead of your target pace. This will cause you to run way to fast early and can be disastrous near the end of a marathon. Line up at the appropriate pace and go out at your planned pace.

Remember, training for a marathon requires discipline, commitment and a lot of hard work. Now that you have successfully completed your marathon training you need to prepare for marathon race day so planning ahead will ensure your path to a successful journey!

Remember, Run Happy!

Running Brands....It's About Trust!

I'm always amused by the running companies and the marketing communication strategy and tactics used to reach out to us and define their brand. Often, the successful ones truly stay on their brand position, create an emotional connection and earn a runner's trust. Additionally, the product must back up that position or that trust is lost.

I was recently extremely amused by Pearl Izumi's ad "We Are Not Joggers." "At Pearl Izumi, we don't jog, we run. The thing is running is endangered. You might find this hard to believe. After all, the number of entrants in your local 10K is surely on the rise, and every Saturday the park is packed with people prancing around in brand-new trainers. Unfortunately, few if any of them are running. They're jogging. And with all this jogging going on out there, runners are losing the soul of their sport. Joggers are prey. Runners are hunters!" Boy….now I really understand who you are?? Hey, dude! The only difference between a runner and a jogger is the name on the entry form!

Under Armour's "Athletes Run" indicating "all runners are athlete's" is credible, but the product and brand is a little short in delivering believablilty and authenticity with core runners due to it's intense sporting goods and team sports (football/cleated) communication.

ASICS, utilizes "A Sound Mind, In a Sound Body" derived from the Latin phrase, Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, which is also an acrynom for "ASICS." Pretty good! Do we trust them? Yup! Sound Mind, Sound Body, Sound Product!

Nike, "Just Do It!" In technical running, they did it for years! At one point Nike owned 50+% market share in the "Specialty Running" store channel. Over the past 6 years they have lost market share in Specialty Running, because they lost the "Trust" runner's had in their technical footwear product. Guess what? They are back and as a brand are "Just Doing it" again with great product such as the Structure Triax and the Air Vomero and technical innovations, like the new Lunar Glide.

Mizuno, "Your Passion Is Our Obsession." Mizuno's Serious Performance positioning exemplifies their market communication headline and their product always backs this up with more Runner's World, Editor Choice Awards than any other brand in the past 12 years.

Saucony, "Loyal To The Sport" represents that they are committed to the running community and their product. I believe them and the proof is in rapid market share increases in the past 12 months. They truly get what a "Running Company" is all about with the most improved product line in the industry.

Trust, believability and consistency, all trademarks for why we choose products and bond emotionally with the running brands we love. However, just like a marriage, that lost trust and believability can be a reason for divorce.

Beat The Heat! Summers Here! (Finally)

Now that the summer running season is finally here, you are likely looking for the best ways to beat the heat. After all, proper preparation will make your run a lot more enjoyable!

It's important to plan what you wear according to the conditions. Moisture-wicking fabrics can help your skin temperature stay cooler. Looser-fitting tops let air circulate, and lighter colors reflect heat. Seek out apparel with an SPF fabric of 15 to 50 UPF and always wear sunscreen!

Watch out for humidity-it can lead to increased chafing. It might be time to buy a pair of snug-fit compression shorts that hug your legs and decrease the chance of your thighs sticking together mid-run. You can wear them alone, or under your regular shorts, if you're more comfortable. If it's really steamy out there, a running hat packed with ice or an ice-filled bandanna around your neck can have a nice cooling effect.

Don't forget to hydrate throughout the day. The rule of thumb is to drink 16 to 32 ounces of fluid per hour of exercise. Plain water is a great option, but if you're sweating a lot you might also try sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Accelerade, that contain electrolytes, sodium and potassium.

If you're heading out for an hour or more, plan your run to include water stops to ensure that you get that 16 to 32 ounces. Most parks, such as the Back Cove Trail, have water fountains, but you could also leave water bottles on your route or use a hydration belt. Additionally, planning a route that provides shade can help prevent you from getting overheated, as well.

Finally, run very early in the day or after sundown. The heat is highest between 3 and 6 p.m., so avoid those hours. Also, check the heat index, which combines temperature with relative humidity. Humidity slows down your body's ability to cool itself via sweating, so high humidity leaves you at an even greater risk. You can go to http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/heat/index.shtml for a heat index chart that shows when it is considered dangerous to exercise. Remember, it takes roughly two weeks to become acclimatized to heat and humidity, so be sensible out there....and remember, Run Happy!