Remember...What Goes Up, Comes Down!

If you are running Beach To Beacon this year, or have run it in the past, you are (or will be) fully aware of the final hill in the last 3/4 of a mile after you enter Fort Williams Park. For our training group, we specifically map out the program to include hill workouts geared towards preparation for this challenge! We use Baxter Woods, which features a 1,000 meter loop. The loop starts down hill for 400 meters then switches back up for 400 meters.

We do this because hill training improves leg-muscle strength, quickens your stride, expands stride length, develops your cardiovascular system, enhances your running economy and can even protect your leg muscles against soreness. Hill running makes you stronger, faster and healthier. Why? Because on uphill sections muscles contract more powerfully than usual because they are forced to overcome gravity to move you up the hill. The result is more power, which in turn leads to longer, faster running strides.

When running uphill shorten your stride. You are aiming for equal effort going up as well as down, not equal pace. Your posture should be upright, don't lean forward or back. Your head, shoulders and back should form a straight line over the feet. Keep your feet low to the ground. Also, run through the top of the hill. Don't crest the hill and immediately slow down or pull back on your effort.

Going downhill runners make one or twp obvious mistakes, they either sprint, which causes severe muscle soreness later on, or they're so hesitant they begin braking, which fatigues the quadriceps muscles. The optimum pace is somewhere in between while letting the hill do the work. Try to keep an upright body posture and your torso perpendicular to the horizontal. This makes the hill do the work saving energy. And finally, remember, what goes up, must come down!

Maine Running Company was just named "Best Running Store, New England" by Runner's World. We are proud of this acheivement and want to personally thank the Maine Running Community for supporting us over the past 3 years. The award is based on Customer Service, Broad product selection (We are the exclusive Running Specialty Dealers for New Balance, Nike, Newton and the only Asics "Gold Dealer" in the state of Maine) and community involvement.

The Weekly Back Cove continues to grow this summer. 145 runners participated last night and we continue to see folks passionate about making sure we get their times, names, etc.... correct. Folks can track their progress through the summer by visiting Blaine Moore's Website http://backcove.runtowin.com/. Also, we are making sure the crowd stays to the side this year, prior to racing to keep the Path Clear. As always, we hope folks are patient for 45 minutes every weds, as we currently are tracking well ahead of the donations we had last year, with all proceeds going to Portland Trails.

That's it folks....and remember....Run Happy!

Hydrate....but be sensible!

Man, was it hot yesterday!!!. We had over 30 folks from our training group take part in our Sunday morning long run, which brought to mind HYDRATION!

Most runners are familiar with staying hydrated. Most runners are told that they should drink substantially, prior to competition, rather than drinking when thirsty (the bodies natural mechanism that tells the brain….DRINK!). However, revised guidelines are now in place from USTAF (United States Track & Field) for those athletes competing in 4+ hour competitions. This is because of recent changes in thinking among the sports medical community due to the fact several runners have died in the past during marathons due to hyponatremia. Hyponatremia means literally "water intoxication". When you drink too much fluid, you flush much-needed sodium and other minerals out of your bloodstream. The lack of sodium and electrolytes can lead to seizures, fluid in the lungs, respiratory arrest and death if the runner is not given proper treatment.

As more and more runners and walkers train for and enter marathons, the average finishing times are increasing. Runners who take longer than 4 hours to finish are the most likely to develop hyponatremia. Medical personnel at finish lines have often mistakenly thought that a fallen runner was suffering from dehydration and have pumped them full of more fluids, which only exacerbated the condition. So hydration guidelines have changed!

Being sensible during hot weather running and about hydration can help you avoid dehydration and over-hydration.

• Drink fluids only until your urine is clear. It isn't necessary to keep drinking (particularly the night before a race) so often that you have the need to urinate every 15-30 minutes.
• On hot, muggy days try to run early in the morning or in the evening when the air is cooler.
• Never train in a sweat suit or nylon suit during hot weather to acclimate yourself to heat training or to lose weight.
• Choose sports drinks containing sodium and electrolytes rather than plain water for hydration during training and racing.
• Drink enough of a hydration sports fluid to give you clear urine prior to a training run or race, then drink only when you start to feel thirsty.
• Monitor your body. Some people sweat more than others. Some people also lose more minerals in their sweat then others. If you're the kind of person who finishes a workout caked with white salt around your hairline and/or under your arms, you may need to take in more of a sports drink than someone who loses less.
• If you're running a marathon, pay attention to signals that you may be developing dehydration, over-hydration or a heat-related illness. If you start to feel woozy, overly fatigued, tingling in your fingers or toes and you feel a headache coming on, stop running and let medical personnel know that you need attention.

Even if you never race, it's still important that you maintain the proper levels of sodium and minerals during training. Everyone has individual needs: you may need to drink 6 oz of fluid during a 25-minute training run, someone else may not need to drink at all during a 10K. Learn what your own body needs and adjust your fluid intake accordingly.

Remember....run safe and Run Happy!