When Spring Fever Hits...Run Smart!

Spring is always one of our busiest times of the year. It is also when we see runners hit the roads and overuse injuries crop up. Many folks have taking it easy all winter, with many not running or working out at all. All of a sudden, the first Wiff of Spring Fever hits and folks head out doors and shift their body into fast forward mode and go for a 5 Mile Run. The adrenaline and smell of Spring only raises the intensity.

Many runners learn the hard way… the body can not just adapt to a sudden surge in exercise and going from a stone, cold layoff and then running 5 miles is a rapid change in any aspect of running. This sudden change and ramp up will ensure your body breaks down before your Spring even gets started.

The body needs to adapt to be put under stress, so when that first nice day hits, hold back…train, don't strain. Versus Mileage, use time as your guide. Start out with a simple 10 - 20 minute run or jog during the first week and go every other day. Then add 5 minutes or 10% more beginning after the second week and then every week. Within a month, you will be back to 30 minutes or more and your body will have adapted. Additionally, adding core strength and stretching exercises, can help the chain of muscles that help fire the engine…the calves, the quads and the glutes.

Finally, listen to your body…if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. The body's adaptation to exercise, particularly muscular, skeletal and connective tissue takes time. Running is physical stress that can cause micro tears in your muscles and connective tissues, such as your IT Band or Hamstrings. Recovery is just as important as running, so don't go back to back days initially as rest is necessary for adequate recovery. Also, if you are de-conditioned and overweight, try to get into shape before you start. Use low impact training, such as cycling or an elliptical trainer to build strength.

Exercise is like medicine and running is no exception. The right dose can be a cure, but an overdose can be fatal.

Spring is coming…so run safe, healthy and Happy!

Spring Running....Yeah, It's On The Way!

OK, so it's February, but why is Maine Running humming like its May? Everyday new Folks are coming in and investing in their health, fitness and well being. Running and walking is an inexpensive, accessible alternative to many things….and also a nice way to blow off steam.

Last weekend I went to a Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) coaching certification class…after having three other Maine Running coaches certified, I thought it might be time for the program director to go through the process.

Beach To Beacon on line registration will open Sunday, March 15, 12 noon, same time as the start of the Kerryman Pub 5K in Saco. B2B race director, David Weatherbie, pointed out that usually Kerryman is on the following Sunday and that even with the Race starting at 12 noon, folks should have time or can have friend sign up for them. This year's approximately 7,000 slots could sell out in 6 hours. Why? More folks are going to be anxious because last year caught them off guard. Here's hoping the process continues to evolve….

The Training Group season is just around the corner, our "Reach The Beacon" training group continues to fill up with almost 70 participants already registered. Looks like we'll need those four coaches? Orientation takes place on March 12 & 19 @ 6pm and cost is $120 for new and $70 for Alumni.. Additionally, our Ladies Night "Train For A Cure" Run/Walk Tuesday night group continues to fill. Maine Running also continues hosting two Sunday Morning Runs open to anyone. Early risers can meet at Freaky Bean's in South Portland at 7am and late risers can meet at Maine Running Company at 9am.

The Maine Track Club will have Maine Running Co. provide coaching services,again, this year. April 16 will kick off the season and we will start out with a clinic that evening " Running your first marathon…What To Expect."

Spring racing season is about to kick into high gear… The Irish Road Rover 5K will get things started on March 8, with packet pick up and final registration taking place at Maine Running Company on Saturday, March 7, 10am - 3pm. There will be no race day registration. The 11th Mary's Walk & Kerryman's Pub 5K in Saco, will start at 12 noon, Sunday March 15th. The traditional and 80th annual Boys & Girls Club Patriots Day 5 miler has moved to Sunday, April 19th, 12 noon. Packet pick up will be on Saturday, April 18, 10am - 5pm at Maine Running Company.

Speaking of races... Race participation continues to grow and road races are reporting registration holding or increasing across the board. Below were the top races in the U.S. in 2008

1 Atlanta Journal Constitution Peachtree 10K - 54,954
2 Dick's Sporting Goods Bolder BOULDER 10K - 48,431
3 Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K -43,640
4 Race for the Cure DC 5K - 41,038
5 ING New York Marathon - 38,096
6 Revlon Run for Women LA 5K - 33,120
7 Bank of America Chicago Marathon - 31,343
8 One America 500 Festival Half Marathon - 30,050
9 Cooper River Bridge Run 10K - 29,247
10 Revlon Run for Women NYC 5K - 26,000

Well, it's staying lighter later and Daylight Savings starts March 8, so shake off the cob webs and remember...Run Safe & Happy!

JR

You Might Be A Crazy, Obsessed Runner If........

Found this on Facebook left by Cathy Pugsley. Thought it was funny! For anyone who is crazy and obsessed with running, or whoever just loves the sport...

...you can use "easy" and 10 in the same sentence
...your shoes have more miles on them than your car does
...you go to a golf course to run
...you schedule dates around meets
...you've been to a golf course in every city but not to play golf
...you find yourself saying, "it's not really a hill..."
...you're running and you don't know why
...more than half the people you know don't know what XC is
...you can't go a day without some little brat saying "Run Forest run"
...you've ever relieved yourself (1 or 2) in a heavily wooded area. Hell, it doesn't even have to be heavily wooded, just somewhere in the outdoors
...Ibuprofen is your recreational drug of choice
...You look into the toilet before a big race to inspect the size of the log you just dropped
...National collegiate "powerhouses" are Colorado, Stanford, Wisconsin, Oregon, and Arkansas....not Miami, USC, and Oklahoma
...you are from the US and you think in terms of meters not feet or yards
...you can look at a grass field and guess its circumference almost exactly
...you are up watching ESPN at 2am (when they actually show the race coverage)
...you have 5% body fat yet you don't live in Somalia
...you consider a 15 mile run a good cure for a hangover
... you are a man, you eat all the junk food that there is and still weigh 119 pounds
... you dont care when you hug a sweaty girl
... you can sit in the cold whirlpool and still hope you will have 15 kids
...ultimate frisbee is the only other sport your good at
..."Quarters" are not a monetary unit
...You have recorded a marathon or track meet over your wedding video
...Your fridge contains two types of drinks: Beer and gatorade
...you waste ridiculous amounts of time engaged in meaningless arguments and discussions about running
...you get hit by a car and you don't bother to get the license plate of the person who hit you because you still have 6 miles left to go
...your carry-on is a spike bag
...the first question anybody asks you once they find out you are a runner is "Have you ever run the marathon?" even if you explain that you are a miler or 5k runner - then they immediately lose interest in the conversation
...You say things like "long and hard" to your female friends and it is not a sexual inuendo
...You hate Runner's World
...you are used to the sound of a gun
...you make hundreds of left turns each week
...you and your teammates have meaningless debates about training, running, and coaching, especially when you're drinking
...you can run a beer mile faster than most people could run a regular mile
...you have running shoes in varying degrees of decomposition: used, well-worn, spent but still good, and useless-but-I-still-wear-them-because-they-still-feel-good
...you keep shoes and running clothes in your car so that if you're ever on a road trip and drive by a place thinking "it'd be sweet to run here..." you can get out and go for a run
...you sleep in your running shorts because they're more comfortable than whitie-tighties, not to mention you don't need to change for morning practice
...you can correctly pronounce names like "Hicham El Guerrouj" "Kennesia Bekele" and "Haile Gebresilassie"
...you've learned that shopping after a long run or hard workout for food is bad, because when you get home, you realize all you have to eat for the next week is queso dip, mission tortilla chips, and a 5 pound bag of twizzlers
...you've ever found yourself running around an airport thinking "if i can just get in three more miles, I'll meet my mileage goal"
...you've become a member of the "Century Club", and by that I don't mean the older brother of the "Power Hour". (100 miles in 1 week of training)
...you wear sandals despite having the ugliest feet in the world, along with several missing toe nails
...speciality running shops are better than the mall
...you get upset and impatient when results from the race you ran aren't posted online by the time you get home
...LetsRun.com is your homepage
...you spend so much time on LetsRun that any one of the following could/has happened: you've been fired, you've been divorced, you've failed 1 or more classes, you have a regular posting handle and participate in all the Brojos prediction contest, and/or you've actually won a LetsRun.com prediction contest
...you need a magnifying glass to see your name in the paper.
...you have chafing in strange places.
...you spend more on training clothes than school clothes.
...there's nothing like intervals to start the week off fresh!!
...you talk to your coaches more than your parents
...off-season training starts a week after Finals
...you run when you feel like it, be it 6AM or midnight
...you know what "Badger Miles" are
...you use "Badger Miles" on your long runs and easy days
...you have the guts to do the steeplechase
...you do anything to try to heal an injury except go to a doctor or athletic trainer because you know they will just tell you to "Stop running."
...you wear a black, plastic sports watch with your dress clothes
...you can remember a time from a race 4 years ago, but you can't remember your friend's birthdays
...Your heart rate is below 50 and you are not dying
...You know how many grams of carbs there are in a banana.
...You can name a person from Namibia, Djibouti and Zimbabwe
...You've said "she'd be one hell of a pole vaulter" at a strip club
...you are embarrassed to wear sandals because of your hideous sock tan, but you where 'em anyway
...you are not embarassed to show someone where your hamstring "really" hurts.
...you know splits are something that not only cheerleaders care about
...girls: you're embarassed to wear a bikini because of your shorts/bra/tank-top/t-shirt tan lines
...you have hundreds of safety pins scattered around your house
...you enjoy running in the rain
...you carry a waterbottle to every class
...you double knot all your shoes out of habit
...you have a watch tan that never goes away
...you feel naked without your stop-watch on
...you enjoy playing duck duck goose with a youth group knowing you can outrun them- you then get sad when no one picks you as goose
...when you pack a seperate bag for your running clothes
...when pasta is the only food you'll eat two nights before a race
...when you try to convince people to run a 5k because it's "only" 3 miles
...when your friends think they need to practice more before they can run with you
...Every time you see a runner when you're driving you feel like you too should be running, even if you ran 15 miles earlier in the day
...You shower about 12 times a week
...you're not a masochist, but you enjoy ironing out tight muscles and tendons on a foam roller
...You see your opponent shitting on the side of a road during a race and don't think twice about it
...You really have to take a shit during your 90 minute run, but without any leaves or toilet paper handy, you rip off the bottom half of your t-shirt and use it
...your toenails are black.
...you feel lost without your water-bottle.
...you have running withdrawl if you don't run everyday.
...you consider school as just a break between runs.
...your room smells like Icy-Hot and New-Skin.
...you are bankrolling your physical therapist's next vacation.
...your girlfriend can bench more than you.
...you can count all your ribs.

Run Happy!

Road Racing is Rock N Roll, Track is Carnegie Hall!

The Reebok Indoor Games track meet in Boston, is traditionally one of the best Track Meets of the year. Reebok also invites a select number of Running Specialty stores to the event and this was my second year in a row attending. Boulder Running Company, Naperville Running Company, Skinny Raven Sports, Maine Running Co and Fleet Feet Albany were a few of the stores that attended a round table discussion on product, brand direction and the state of the business.

The highlight, however is attending the Saturday night indoor meet and catching up with old friends. During the meet, there were a number of exciting races featuring 2008 Olympians. Nick Willis, from New Zealand running 3:53.54 in the Mile and Nick Symmonds winning the 1,000 meters with his indefatigable kick. Young Olympian (I do mean Young) Galen Rupp, battling in the 3,000 and Australia's Gold Medalist Pole Vaulter, Steve Hooker, going for 20 feet in the Pole Vault. You also had four high school boys running under 4:10 for the mile, with the winner coming all the way from 7th place to win at the tape. There was also a pool going on my friend Kris Hartner's time in the Masters Mile (4:36 and 3rd).

The highlight was definitely watching the women's 5,000 meters. Shalane Flanagan running 14:47.62 and slicing 20 seconds from the American record. She lead the entire way, then was edged with an identical time at the tape by Sentaye Ejigu, from Ethiopia who stalked her the entire way. You could say she has brass, you know what, but this runner will own every American Record from 5K to the Marathon before it is over..... Marty Liquori was right when he said..."Road Racing is Rock N Roll, Track is Carnegie Hall!"