Saturday runs have begun!

That's right- a few of us have started our long runs, gearing up for the Mayor's Half marathon. I'm just a terrible blogger and failed to post on here! (I'm better at our facebook page- so look for us there for more updates!) Anyway, we have been meeting at about 9am on Saturdays. Our run this week will be 7 miles, although there are several people interested in only training for the 5 miler. Let me know if you are interested and we may have two small groups go out at the same time, just doing different distances. Oh, and the Job Corp 10k is coming up. I love that little race because the course is so so beautiful! I have registration forms if you want one on Saturday. Leave a comment for more info or directions to my house! See you on Sat!

Lori

Job Corps 5 & 10K!

We had a great time at the Job Corps 5 & 10K this past weekend! Weather was beautiful and the course is amazing as always! Love running on the Springer system! Thanks to all of you that came out- Rita, Amy, Rachel, Marci, Natalie, Emily, Megan, Robert and Lisa for cheering us all on! Everyone did great too! Official results are posted here http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2010/05/25/sports/doc4bfb5e690e3aa826805380.txt

Palmer Job Corps 5 & 10K run

Please send me your email if you would like me to email you a registration form. Here is the basic info:

Sat, May 22nd, 9am
packet pick-up, day of reg. 7-8:30
reg fee $15 before 5/21, $20 day of registration
two courses, 5K & 10K

Pick your distance and come join us. Fun run with beautiful scenerey- I love running the springer system! This is a smaller run too, so non-stressfull and very low key! Hope to see you all there!

I love a good sale :)

Just wanted to spread the word- I was at Sports Authority today and they are having a huge sale on their clearance. They have lots of running shoes (look in the back racks of shoe section) that are all marked down, then marked down 40% off the clearance price. So if you are needing a new pair, check it out. They also have much more than just shoes on sale.

And with that, a word about shoes. I believe in wearing GOOD shoes. Good shoes meaning shoes made for running, and shoes that fit your feet. When we talk about fit, we are meaning more than just size. But size does matter, and most runners agree that going up 1/2 size for running shoes is best- your feet will swell while running and the little bit of extra room prevents blisters. Too much extra room can cause blisters, so always try shoes on, some brands size differently. As far as finding a shoe that fits your foot, running shoes are typically broken down into 3 different types of support in running shoes- Motion control, Stability & Cushion. These are based on how much you pronate. For more information about pronation, read this.

Once you find your perfect running shoes, try to keep them for running! This will increase the life of the shoes and their cushioning. A good running shoe should last about 500 miles, or 6 months. I find I can get about 7-8 months, but the minute I feel my knees or feet hurting I know it's time to get new shoes.

My last piece of advice about shoes, once you figure out what type of shoe you need, you can go somewhere and try them on, like Sports Authority. Once you know the shoe and size you want, you should check out Shoes.com- free shipping both ways and usually a lot cheaper than Skinny Raven, Sports Authority, etc. Hope you find your perfect shoes!

Come join us tomorrow!

Hey guys- tomorrow we are meeting again, at my place, 7:30 am for our group run. We are going to do 8 miles, however some people are planning on doing a 6 miler. Come join us, even if your not up for 6 or 8, just come and do what you can!

Also, next week we have listed as doing a 10k. We are actually going to push that back to do the Palmer Job Corps 5 & 10K on the 22nd. So next Sat will be a 9 miler, with again some people running about 2 miles less (and probably will for the restof the training season, remember, as long as you getin a 10 miler you will be good for the 1/2 marathon).

Another note- please let me know if you would like to host running club or know of any place we should go running! We would be happy to mix it up and meet at your place, or when the trails dry out we could do a few trail runs. We have also talked about meeting in Anchorage on the coastal trail to run part of the course before the big day.

As requested....

Sorry this is so small. It was the best I could do! If you click on the image you can see it larger. Please send me your email if you would like a larger version and I will be happy to email it out.

Monday and Wednesday Easy runs- These runs are designed to be done at a comfortable pace. Don’t worry about how fast you run these. Run easy! If you are training with a friend you should be able to hold a conversation. If you can’t, you are running too fast! This goes for Saturday long runs as well!

Tuesday Speed Workouts- optional, for those looking to increase their half marathon time. If you are completing your first half or are not concerned in improving your times, you may substitute these speed workouts with easy 3-4 mile runs or add an additional rest day. (more speedwork info below)

Stretch/Strengthen- Spend extra time on these days stretching and/or doing some strength training. It’s wise to stretch every day, particularly after you finish your run.
Rest- Rest is a very important part of your training! Do not ignore your rest days! You will be better off ADDING additional rest days than skipping these. You will run better on your long runs and limit your risk of injury!

Long Runs- This is the key to getting ready to finish the ½ Marathon. Again, keep a nice easy pace on these long runs, typically about 1 min/mile slower than your race pace.

Speedwork- Run your 400 meter runs at about your 5k pace, or 10k pace, not at an all out sprint. Walk or jog between each repeat. A tempo run is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10k race pace. A Tempo run of 30 to 45 min would begin with 10-15 min easy, build to 15-20 min near middle, then 5-10 min easy toward the end. The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout. Hold that peak only for a minute or two. These can be as hard or as easy as you want to make it. Feel free to improvise with your speedworkouts.

Pace- this refers to your race pace, the pace at which you expect to run the ½ marathon. This will get you used to running the pace you will run in the race.

Don’t be afraid to juggle the workouts from day to day or week to week. Just be consistent with your running and the overall details won’t matter. Most important, get in those long runs and you’ll be fine!

BIG 5K on Saturday!

Ok, big might be a bit of an exageration, since it will only include those of us from the running club that show up! But, we thought it would be a fun way to see where you are at for your 5k pace and help with goal setting. A lot of our training schedule mentions doing certain distances at 5k pace, so now we'll know! Plus, I just think it will be totally fun too! Come and do our 5k, even if you are just starting out running- everyone starts somewhere! We will meet same time and plrace, 7:30 at my house. Then I think we'll head over to CHS track (provided they aren't having a race of their own, I'll double check) and do our 5k there. We'll do about 15 minutes of warm up/stretching and then go for our 5k. This will totally be at your own pace and you can push yourself as much or as little as you like. Please come- it will be fun! And a good way to recruit new members- 5k doesn't sound near as scary as 5 miles does it? See you on Saturday- and hopefully this snow will be gone by then!