Last long run of the year!

Wow! I can't believe today was my last long run and by far it was the most challenging. Even though it was a 3:40 run I was challenged by running on the snow the entire time. It was so cold that the water in my bottle froze! Also, I was not running on the greenbelt but on Burley's streets. It was a good run and survived it. I took a 15 minute walk afterwards. I drank plenty of fluids two days prior to the run and today I am continuing on drinking lots of water. My body is in pain, but that is normal. I look forward to my recovery run for tomorrow. Well, I am done with the last long run for the year and I have a few more runs before the big day! Once again thanks to all for your encouragement!

Run on 12/20 & 12/21

Yesterday's run was good. I was instructed to run 10 miles. So, instead of going to Barber Park first I started from the end and then went to Barber Park back to JD. I thought I knew where the start line was at, but I took a little detour. Ay! Mari. Due to the detours I ended up running 11.6 miles. For some reason I felt my run long but I guess it was a different since I was running through snow and I felt myself a little more tired. There was a few places where it was covered with snow for a couple of miles and that seemed to take a toll on me. When I was running on little snow or no snow I could feel a difference. I felt a little soar but nothing major. I did get a pain on my right calf but I think it was due to not stretching enough. Overall the run was great!

Today's run was good. My cousin is conditioning for soccer so we were able to run together. Once again I did feel my calf's very tight especially my right calf. When we were done we had a good stretch. This was definitely a run where it was, "in with the good, out with the bad!"

So, it's less than a month away from my marathon and I am excited. I am noticing that my body is a lot more tired and now more than ever I can feel that my body needs plenty of water and rest. I have been good about listening to my body in making sure I get the fluids and rest that it needs.

Coaches thanks for all of your tips and encouragement! Team - you are ALWAYS a pleasure to be with. THANKS!!!

12 Miler

Well, today Scott and I ran twelve miles. We got our long run done for the weekend! Overall it was good and I am very thankful that Scott ran with me : ) We did our mile warm up then stretched and we were off to complete our goal. Our goal pace was 9:15-9:30 and on an average we did about 9:30-10:00 for miles 1-9.5. There was times we were going a lot faster. The last 2.5 miles were stragglers. My right knee started to hurt on mile 10 or 10.5 and I couldn't run so we stopped and walked for a while. After I felt better we picked it up. The pain did go away but we decided to take it ssllooww! We were doing 12-15 minutes. We completed the run with no injuries and had a good stretch (boy, did I NEED it)! I came home and showered and will relax for the remainder of the night and of course drink plenty of water. Okay, I know it has been a LONG time since I last blogged so I need to get back into it...no excuses! Once again, Coaches and Team thank you very very much for all of your support and encouragement! You are all great and I appreciate your help, honesty and friendship. Coaches have a great trip and fyi I won't be running with the group on Tuesday and Thursday but will be there Saturday morning. I have asked Monica to update me with a running schedule for this week. Okay, gracias!

PRISON BREAK...

Hello! Well today is a day after the Prison Break 1/2 Marathon and I am still alive : ) It was such a great experience. Well, first of all I must thank everyone for ALL of their great support!!!! Muchas gracias! Muchas gracias! Here is the break down of the miles and how I felt.
1.) The first mile was a little distracting because I was trying to get the watch to start (Which I initially had prepared but it didn't start ; ) SO, I need to make sure that that was taken care of before the race and not during the race. The first mile or so was ran with Monica. She was giving me a few keypoints so that was helpful.
2.) Mile 2-5 was my warm-up.
3.) Mile 5-6 ran with a gentleman but lost him after I made a pit stop (moderate pace).
4.) Mile 6-10 ran with a lady who was a great running partner (moderate pace). This period was my prime because the pace was moderate and having someone run with felt good.
5.)Mile 10-12 ran byself because I wanted to kick it up a notch. Felt good and was able to breath without a lot of trouble.
6.) Mile 13 - Team Apex was waiting for me to run the LAST mile. It was great but that little hill was a challenge. I was anticipating the hill to take place during mile 11 so I thought the hills were behind me, NOT! They were waiting for me. The last mile was the most tiring for me. My breathing was not great and I really pushed myself. I would focus on what Monica would tell me, just look at their back and nothing else. Of course, Scott mentioned that we were almost there and Kevin would say just do what you do at practice! Oh, how I wish that at that instant I felt like I do during me practice with a little bit more energy but it all worked out.
7.) Made the finish line thanks to my GREAT coaches and team support!!!
Overall, I am truley gratefull that I could experience a half marathon because it gives me an idea of what to expect at the full marathon.

Something that I would like to work on is my mental training and I think that this marathon will help me prepare for future runs. It's amazing to know how strong the mind will work. I think mental prepardness and speed work will definatley help me build a stonger foundation. One step at a time.

After the marathon I felt tired and got about a half hour nap and ate lunch. I took Saturday easy in regards to physical work and drank lots of fluid. My body felt a little pain but nothing too extreme but the only thing that did hurt was my knees. They both felt bruised and I would massage them.

The day after the marathon - got plenty of rest and coninued to drink lots of fluids. My body was in little ache and the knees were both hurting. I ran an easy 30 minutes and that felt good!

Well, I am still survining and it was a great experience and I am looking to do this again.

Once again thanks to EVERYONE for their great support! It's so encouraging to have the best team run and encourage me every step of the way. THANK YOU!!!

Run 10/14

Today's run went good! I felt good. No major pain just a little at the beginning but as I warmed up it eased up. The run was a little faster and it felt good to keep that pace without feeling pain and still having breath : ) Thank you team for your encouragement and help!

Run For 10/04-06

Run 10/4, Long (Easy) 2:10
I ran my long, easy run on Saturday morning at the Foothills. My warm up went well and the it took a while to get into the jist of running (but it usually takes me a while to get into the running mode). After I got into I was ready to go and overall I felt good. I did feel a slight pain on my left knee (on the side). As I was coming back I took a wrong turn and got lost which made my run longer than I had anticipated. Can you believe that I got lost?!? It happens to everyone : ) I just wanted to go downhill and it seemed like the mountains were getting steeper by the second! After I traced back I eventually made it to Camel's Back Park. I was very tired after the run and throughout the day, but it was a good tired.

Run 10/5
Today I did my slow recovery run for about 30 minutes and it felt good to let it all out!

Run 10/6
Today I did my slow run for about 40 minutes and I felt much better compared to yesterday. The weather was beautiful and I felt good.

Overall: I am getting blisters and it could very well be from my socks. I purchased some socks for running about a month ago, but I think I will need to make a stop at Shu's to confirm that I have the correct socks.

I will have the coaches take a peek at where my knee was hurting for any recovery tips!

Wow, one more run down and many more to come!

Thursday's Run (10/2)

Hello Running Blog! Well today I felt MUCH better compared to Tuesday's run. I felt my legs a little tight even after the stretching but after my body got warmed up I was up and going. The run wasn't too fast but we (Kevin and I) kept it at a slow to moderate pace. Even though Thursday's should be a day to work on speed I felt it was a good recovery from Tuesday.

Saturday's Run - I will not be running with the team this weekend since I will be going to Burley for the weekend but will do my running either Sat. or Sun. I will blog to let you know how I feel.

Team thanks for your great encouragement!!!

Running Mode...

Well, yesterday I didn't get to blog about my running but wanted to keep you updated on how I felt. When we were doing our warm-ups I felt my legs and body REALLY heavy. My meals were normal (nothing heavy). It took my body a while to get into the running mode but about half ways I was feeling a little better. Kevin asked me about my breathing techniques and honestly I have never put much practice into it so he suggested the breath, breath, breath out method. While we were running I was trying to focus on it and I think it helped. My goal is to try this method so I focus more on my breathing and get a rhythm (like Kevin said). At the end I felt much better and felt a little push to run a little harder since we started at an easy pace. I felt good and boy was it a work out. Yesterday was the first day that I felt a different tiredness in my body. Mike said that it is normal since I am in my base training. Today throughout the day I felt my body tired but as this moment it feels GOOD! It's so amazing to see the different stages that our body goes through. I will be ready to run tomorrow.

Long Hilly Run

Well, today I ran the hilly run for 1:40 at an easy pace. It was GREAT! Since I usually let someone else guide when we are on the Foot Hills path and don't pay too much attention I didn't take the same path that we run on but I got good practice on the hills. I tried to take the same path couldn't connect to it : ) I took a few different trails. I did about 1:10 on the hills and ran on the street surface the remaining time. Also, I started with smaller hills and gradually increased to the stepper hills.

Today I browsed through the P.F. Chang's Marathon website and became nervous and a little sick to my stomach. It so exciting to think that I am that much closer to the date...but I need to take it one step at a time!

Long Run On Sunday

Sounds good! I will do my long run at Camel's Back on Sunday.

Thanks!

It has been a while...

It has been a while since I last updated my blog, but I have not forgotten! I am going to make it my best effort to update it at LEAST once a week! Today's run was great. Our warm up was a little faster than normal, but Thursday is speed day : ) I noticed my speed was faster and I felt good. At the end I got a little pain on my left side of my stomach but put into practice those stomach breathing techniques (thanks Mike!). For a while I ran a little bit with Mike, Kevin, Rodo and Liz so that was nice. I am beginning to notice how each body is different and how everyone has their own method of running in regards to body movement and breathing. Overall it was great running with the cool breeze and most importantly having the support and encouragement of each team member! It's great to run with such a caring and positive team...THANKS TEAM APEX!

Also, I spoke with Mike and Monica about doing my long run on Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon due to my schedule. I am scheduled to run for 1:40 Hilly (Easy). What running paths do you suggest?

Thank You!

In-Between Run

Oh, do I feel my body aching from yesterday's run! I started out with some stretches in the am and did it through out the day. I took my 30 minute run in the evening on the greenbelt. Once again the weather was in my favor and it felt very good to recover from the long run. I am still in some pain but have been doing some stretches to alleviate the body ache. I am drinking a lot of water. Run was good overall and I look forward to running with the team tomorrow!

Long Run - 9/7

Today I did my long run since I couldn't make it with the team on Saturday. I started at Memorial Park and my run lasted a little over 1:30. It felt great to run and my knees held in most of the way! Towards the end I felt the pain in both of them : ( Overall the weather was great and I can feel my body adjust to the running. I kept a light pace and my breathing was good. Loved it!

Marathon Training & Racing Tips

MARATHON TRAINING TIPS

NUTRITION

1. Hydration. Staying hydrated while training and during the marathon is extremely important. Be sure you are hydrated before, during, and after your runs to maintain energy, regulate body temperature, and reduce the stress of running on your body. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink–by then it is too late and you are already dehydrated.
2. Balance. Runners should maintain a healthy balance of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats for the best nutrition to keep their bodies healthy.
3. Energy food. During longer runs of 10 miles or more, replenish your lost energy with energy foods that are easy to carry with you such as energy bars and gels.
4. Iron. Distance running takes lots of iron from your body, so be sure to eat plenty of foods with iron such as red meat and spinach. Women should be very careful that they are replenishing their iron and may benefit from an iron supplement.
5. Don’t eat these. Limit foods high in unhealthy fats and fried foods. Not only are these foods not healthy to eat, they won’t give you the necessary energy and nutrients your body needs during training.
6. Before runs. 90 minutes before a run, hava a light snack full of carbohydrates to keep your energy up and give your body the fuel it needs. Have a whole-wheat bagel, banana, or an apple.
7. Sports drinks. For runs over 60 minutes, have a sports drink along with water to replenish your body of electrolytes that you are losing during the run.
8. Caffeine. Studies have shown that for distance running, caffeine can enhance your performance. About 300 milligrams prior to your race should be plenty to get any benefits. Benefits will improve if you limit your caffeine throughout the week and utilize it only for races.
9. Fueling. When training or on the day of the marathon, you will need to fuel your body to keep it functioning well.

STRESS & TIME MANAGEMENT

1. Form a routine. Getting into a routine that provides you time for both what you must accomplish as well as your training schedule will allow you to feel like you aren’t neglecting anything.
2. Be flexible. Control what you can, but when those things pop up that you can’t control, like injury or weather, learn to adjust as necessary.

TRAINING

1. Stretch. Stretching helps prevent injuries, so don’t forget to stretch both before and after each of your runs.
2. Yoga. Practicing yoga is an excellent cross-training exercise for runners as it improved flexibility, strength, and mental focus.
3. Practice hills. Hill training will boost your power. It also benefits your training by teaching your body to run fast (during the downhills) while your body is feeling tired. Your training will include some hill/strength training.
4. Cross train. You don’t have to run every day to train for a marathon. Participate in other activities such as swimming, cycling, walking, or training machines and you will reduce your chance of burnout, prevent injury, and build other muscles running doesn’t work out.
5. Rest day. At least one day a week, don’t do any exercise. The day before your long run is an excellent day for rest so you are ready for the tough upcoming work-out.
6. Train in similar clothing. If you train in similar clothing to what you’ll be wearing during the marathon, you will feel more comfortable during the race and not have any unexpected issues with rubbing or weight of the clothes.
7. Short to long races. While training, run smaller races and gradually increase so that you are running races incrementally longer as you approach the full 26.2 miles.
8. Listen to your body. If it hurts stop or rest. Don’t push yourself too hard or you will injure yourself and you may miss out on the marathon all together.

RACE TIPS

1. Sleep. Be sure to get a good night’s rest during the week before the race.
2. Ibuprofen. Take some ibuprofen before leaving for the race (1hr before) to counteract any aches and pains you may get during the run. Some believe this is not a good practice, I have personally done it for years and feel it makes a significant difference. However, do not do this routinely (every day).... save it for races. Also, be sure you are well hydrated because it is excreted through the kidneys and take it with food because it can irritate the stomach lining.
3. Know where. Know where the start line is located so that you are not wandering around lost when everyone is running.
4. Arrive early. Give yourself plenty of time to park and get to the starting line without worrying you’ll be late. Chances are traffic will be heavy the morning of the marathon.
   Arriving early also allows you to get there and center yourself and do your warm-up before starting.
5. Know the course. Be familiar with the race map before you run so that there are no surprises along the way.
6. Hills. Be aware of hilly areas and pace yourself so that you are not exerting yourself too much prior to hitting the hills.
7. Water. Don’t go past any chance for water. Be sure to drink water often and early, so you can keep hydrated. Don't guzzle... just a few mouth fulls on each station.
8. Layers. Start out wearing layers. The temperature at the beginning of the race may be cooler first thing, and your body will warm up as you run. Take off throw-aways as you warm up (dollar store gloves, old sweatshirt etc.)
9. Walk. Take walk breaks if necessary, during water stations.
10. Go out slowly at the beginning of the race, so you will have the strength and energy to finish the race you planned. It will feel easy in the beginning so sometimes you have to keep yourself back.
11. Pain. Pain comes and goes during the race. Don’t focus on the pain, instead, repeat a mantra or practice guided imagery to shift your focus.

EQUIPMENT

1. Running watch. For a relatively inexpensive price, you can get a running watch that includes a stopwatch, lap counter, and a history of your runs to help you train with more accuracy.
2. Light. If you will be doing any night running, a head light will keep you safe and ensure drivers see you.
3. Shoe wallet . Chances are good you will need to leave your house or car when you go for a run. Get a shoe wallet to keep your key secure.
4. Sunscreen. In the summer, apply sunscreen before going on your run to keep your skin healthy.
5. Sunglasses. If you are running in the daytime, invest in a good quality pair of sunglasses to keep your eyes protected.
6. Duct tape. If your running is rubbing blisters on your feet, try using duct tape to protect them and ease the pain.
7. Anti-chafe. Use an anti-chafe stick (body glide) to help prevent chafing anywhere hot spots occur.

CLOTHING

1. Shoes. Probably the single-most important piece of clothing or equipment you will have for running is your shoes. Choose them carefully and have a specialty shoe store help you choose the right shoe for you.
2. Socks. Wearing good quality running socks is important to keep your feet in good shape, provide arch support, guard against blisters, and wick away moisture.
3. Shorts. Find shorts made for runners that feature comfort, range of motion, back flap for energy food or gels, brief liner, and breathability.
4. Tops. Freedom of movement, moisture wicking, breathability, and maybe a reflective tape or logo are all great qualities to look for when buying a running top.
5. Reflective clothing. Running early in the morning or at night, you will want to be seen. Wear some reflective clothing to boost your visibility.
6. Gloves. Frequently, runners experience cold hands as the blood leaves their extremities during a long run. Put on a pair of gloves to keep your hands warm–summer or winter.
7. Hat. Whether you are keeping cool on a hot day or staying warm on a cold one, be sure to wear a hat to help maintain your body temperature.

MOTIVATION

The energy and time commitment of training for a marathon can eventually get you down. Guard against any loss in motivation with these safeguards in place.

1. Running group. Join the TEAM APEX gang to keep yourself on a schedule and find support from a whole group of runners with similar goals to yours.
2. Running partner. Sometimes it is easier to let yourself down than someone else. Take advantage of this by having a running partner so you can keep each other motivated to keep going.
3. Support network. Create a supportive group of family and friends who are behind you while you train for the marathon. They will be there to share both the lows and the highs.
4. Watch running movies. On a rest day, instead of your usual running, watch a running movie to keep your motivation high.
5. Use your journal/blog. Journaling your workouts on a daily to weekly basis is a great way to provide a history of your training to learn for the next time around.
6. Don’t worry about backsliding. If you have a bad week or two, don’t throw in the towel just because you had a little misstep. Instead, focus on getting back into the groove and picking up where you left off.
7. It won’t always be easy. Use this as a reminder when training gets difficult so you realize that if running a marathon was an easy task, everyone would do it.
8. Find your motivation and discuss it with your coach/running partners. They can help you keep going!
   

Welcome Maricela!

Welcome to TEAM APEX Maricela!

We are excited to be a part of your training for your first marathon the Rock & Roll AZ in January 09! Running 26.2 miles is quite an accomplishment and isn’t a goal you can reach with just a few days’ preparation. Training, nutrition, equipment and clothing, stress and time management, and motivation are all a huge part of getting your body and your mind ready. Just remember, you are not alone in this journey and we are here to help you with any questions or concerns you may have along the way!

Use this journal/blog to update on how your training is going. Some information you might choose to include in a journal entry is: 1.) How did your legs feel 2.) Factors: sleep, nutrition, life stressors, etc 3.) General energy level 4.) Psychological Factors 5.) Goals

Feel free to email or call anytime! 949.3306
mike@teamapexrunningandwalking.com
dave@teamapexrunningandwalking.com
monica@teamapexrunningandwalking.com

Good Luck!