Right now, I’m LOVING this heat. It’s great for heat training. I’m training for the Vermont 100 Miler, and it has been known to be QUITE hot during this race. I’m taking advantage of the hot temperatures to train in the heat of it – so if it is this hot, I’ll be ready. I also have the Burning Man Ultramarathon on September 1st, so I want to be ready for however hot it will be.
The key word here is acclimate. I have been slowly building myself up and am looking forward to running home from work tomorrow. I hope it is at least 95 when I’m running home. I run slower than usual, and carry cold water (which is inevitably warm by the end, but what can you do?). Water is very important.
A bunch of my friends are running the Badwater Ultramarathon – the training they’re doing is insane. I’ve done some elements of their training, to a lesser degree. My friend Tony has been spending time in saunas of 207 degrees. I did some sauna training and found it very helpful. I bring a book, some water, and sweat like crazy for 20 minutes.
But perhaps you aren’t insane. Or perhaps you aren’t sure HOW to run in the heat. Come to tomorrow’s salon with some ideas of your own…and we’ll have plenty to share!
Let’s SWEAT!
Join us tomorrow to discuss how to train in hot weather:
Wed, July 7
8:30 p.m.
TBD (224 Franklin St at Green St in Greenpoint)
Look for the dorks in NBR gear
Feel free to come sweaty after a run – food, drink, and even water is served at this bar!
–Cherie
Filed under: NBR Goings On, Workouts | Tags: fun, goal setting, health, injury, running, salon, winter, yoga
By popular demand, we’ve organized a Yoga for Runners Workshop! This is designed to introduce runners to the practice of yoga as an effective supplement to their training and races. Yoga instructor Maya Seidel will guide participants through a sample yoga session, focusing on poses which are specifically useful for runners. Special attention will be given to proper alignment, breath awareness, and balance. Following a period of guided relaxation and brief meditation, the workshop will conclude with a discussion about how to apply yoga to round out a workout.
Maya Seidel is a certified yoga instructor experienced with teaching yoga to children, adults, and seniors. For more information, please visit www.mayayoganyc.com.
This workshop will cost $2 for Greenpoint YMCA members, and $4 for non-YMCA members. We also will be collecting optional instructor tips to give to Maya.
Date: Sunday, February 28, 2010
Time: 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Location: Greenpoint YMCA – 99 Meserole Ave – Brooklyn NY – 11222
Hosted at the Greenpoint YMCA in the SACC room in the basement.
Also, you might want to bring your own mat if you have one.
See you Sunday!
Here are some winter running tips from our recent running salon. Yes, it’s cold in winter, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay on the treadmill for three months out of the year.
General Winter Running Tips
- Layer it up – it’s key to keeping warm
- Wear a tshirt (wicking) under your layers
- Don’t overdress! Dress in less layers than you’d like — you’ll be cold the first few minutes, but you’ll warm up. (I can speak to this for this morning’s run. I almost ran back inside to put on another layer, but by the time I ran a few minutes, I was perfectly comfortable!)
- Technical gear is key. In the winter, cotton is your enemy. It gets wet, and wet=cold. With 15% off for all NBR members at JackRabbit next Monday, and the holidays approaching, purchase or ask for technical gear. I’m a big lover of EMS (get on their mailing list for coupons and notices of sales) and National Running Center (http://www.nationalrunningcenter.com/). Also, post-holiday sales are great for picking up good gear at good prices.
- I wear a mask like I’m robbing a store when it’s really cold. It’s made of technical gear, and just has holes for my eyes, and is really, really sexy. I’ve been honked while wearing it.
- Keep your neck warm. And your head. You lose a lot of heat through your head.
- If you’re an asthmatic like me, keep your inhaler on you during those super cold windy days — the cold can aggravate asthma.
- When it’s icy, I pull on my Yak Trax like a pro. (http://www.yaktrax.com/ProductsPro.aspx) Note: don’t run on non-icy/non-snowy roads/sidewalks with them b/c that is not comfortable at all and will wear them out much quicker. Douglas and I both own them so we’ll be running all snowy winter long!
- Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harsh wind (I didn’t have any on this a.m. and my eyes were tearing a lot at the start of the run) and the crap that is flying around Kent Avenue and our permanently under-construction neighborhood.
- Keep drinking. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you’re not getting dehydrated.
- If you aren’t sure if you can’t make it, do a loop course. Run a short loop, and you’ll probably be feeling great that you’ll do another few loops. Of course, there are those days like yesterday (pouring rain, windy, super cold) where you may just do one loop and go inside and drink some hot cocoa. I totally understand!
- Cross-train. When it sucks so bad, go on the elliptical, indoor bike, swim, treadmill if you’re coordinated enough. (I’m not.) You can also do things like cross-country ski or snowshoe. We talked abt having an NBR field trip to go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing for a day. Yay, fun!
- Mittens are warmer than gloves (b/c you can keep your hands together instead of having them separated).
Running Tips for Long Runs
- Wear additional layers. I find that my temperature fluctuates a lot, so I take layers off, put them back on, etc.
- Hand warmers make my long runs bearable…I put them inside my gloves or mittens.
- I put warm water in my water bottles. It gets cold, but it prevents it from freezing right away.
- If you run with a Camelback or some sort of backpack hydration system, get an insulator for the straw. I ran a 50k where my straw froze and I had no water for a long time. It was pretty miserable.
- Hold gels in your hands for a few minutes before eating to warm them up.
- Some running snacks, like shot blocs and Luna moons, get very hard and chewy. I skip these snacks in the winter.
- Wool socks keep your feet toasty in the long run.
- Be careful on trails – there can be icy spots covered with snow, mud, etc.
- Motivate yourself by training for a Spring race. Doing the Umstead 100 Miler in March is helping me get out of bed every morning. “I know it’s cold, but I have a race coming up!”
–Cherie
